First time here. Got a little excited when there are so many Korean bbq in Santa Clara, all along el Camino real :P Here is the forth one I've tried and I enjoy here the best. The restaurant itself (remodeling, staff's, decoration, location) is not the best, but I love their meat and side dishes! I had to say I love the meat because its not marinated with sauce, and the pork is so crispy and tasty. I would recommend people to come at the right time, so parking and waiting time is less :) Will be back next time when I crave for Korean bbq (here will be my first choice) read more

A refreshing alternative to the Palace sh*t-show. Ilbunjee has the air of a humble mom-and-pop eatery, and despite most of the cooking happening at the table, it's clear that there's a great deal of care that goes into the whole operation: metal chopsticks, delectable banchan, a spicy bean curd soup on the house, and high quality meat. The brisket and filet mignon were particularly memorable. Note that this here is unmarinated meat. The place was a recommendation from the owner of Maru Maru (San Mateo). I'm docking a star because, after making quick work of a combination platter for two (~$45), my friend and I were hardly sated. To be fair though, eating is serious business for a couple hearty, young lads like ourselves. So... you know... read more

I have to admit, I was a little nervous walking into Ilbunjee. It's certainly not the most welcoming of entrances -- small, cramped, lit by the cold glow of fluorescent lighting, and very much reminiscent of those hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the seedier parts of Asia. All the signage and patrons were tried-and-true Korean, so as a Chinese guy, I definitely felt a little out-of-place. But damn, they have some *seriously* good food. Compared to your standard Korean BBQ place, things are done a little differently here. Instead of relying on heavy marinades, they opt to provide simple dipping sauces, letting the unmarinated meat do most of the talking. It's a bold move, but it really underscores the confidence they have in the quality of their ingredients. Between the four of us, we shared the beef tongue, the ribeye, and the boneless short ribs. The tongue was good, but to be frank, it's difficult to screw up tongue, so I'm not giving them too much credit for that. The ribeye, though, was an eye-opener. Instead of thin slices, it's served as thick cubes of cut-up steak. I must admit, serving it in this way really clues you in to the high quality of the meat, because it was ridiculously juicy and tender. What a treat! The short ribs were great as well. Well-marbled and extremely succulent. I found that I barely had to chew at all; they were that good. I love places like these because they really distill the act of eating to its bare essentials, letting you focus on what's important -- the food! You won't get any of that special coat-checking, live-band-playing, dim-lighting, comfortable-lounge-seating fluff. It's just you, a glass of beer, and a hot plate full of tasty meat. And really, that's all you need. My only complaint is that it seemed a little pricey for what we got ($20+ a head), so the value proposition isn't too strong. In spite of that, Ilbunjee is now one of my go-to places for Korean BBQ. Thanks, Yelp! read more

Mmm very good korean bbq (: Came with 4 people tonight and ordered the #1 (Beef assortment) for 3 people ($68). Came with PLENTY of meat... The service was excellent. They have a meat slicer in the back so the meat is freshly cut. The restaurant seems very authentic. The meat itself is VERY fresh and VERY tender. I've never had rib eye at a korean bbq place before but I think from here on out if a place offers rib eye I'm going to get it. I'm glad that my friend told me about this place. The pricing is average but the quality of meat is very very good. Overall it was a great dinner!! If you are a Korean BBQ lover you must try this place out! P.s. its small and it can get crowded. read more

My all time favorite korean BBQ joint. Meat here does not come marinated, but you are given the salt, condiments and pastes that are needed to add to the flavor. Seats are always open and the atmosphere is very relaxed. Meat quality: solid, meltingly tender, beef and pork that is sliced to order. Also some other items that I have not tried because I am too busy filling my face with meat. Banchan: Plentiful. Other items: Not so much. Meat and banchan are fairly filling so I would stick to that. Ambiance: some would say the barrels and mismatched chairs make this place bad for a date, but if your date is the foodanista type, they may actually be impressed that you took them to a strip mall hole in the wall that transported them all the way to Korea. Service: Typical mom and pop store service. After coming here with coworkers several months before and sharing many a chilled soju and plum wine, dak bok gee with squid, and glorious plates of meats, the wife of the owner remembered my face. Price: Pricey, but many items here can be shared and two people can split one tray and come out pretty full. read more

This place is a hidden gem. We went here because there was an hour wait for Gooyi Gooyi and Tobang. I was a bit skeptical at first because it looked like nobody was eating there. However, we went in anyway. Me and the BF ordered the BBQ for 2 people and paid around $30 each person. They gave us TONS of MEAT and their quality was superb. Service was super nice and friendly! It was our first time here and we'll definitely come back for more. Highly recommend this place to everyone!! read more

My (and our family's) best Korean BBQ. If you like Japanese style "Yakiniku", you will love this place. The meats are not marinaded like most other Korean BBQ. You get to dip it on whatever the souce of your taste. The meats are fresh and delicious. Don't waste your appetite on sea food or other stuff. Stay focused on Beef. read more

Don't go here! It's terrible, they only serve water. 0_0. Ok, of course I'm joking, but I'm greedy and want to keep this place a secret. I'm a sucker for family owned businesses and it's a bonus when they know their food, which this place does! Hopefully these guys will be able to stay in business. Amazing select cuts of meat will keep the carnivores in sublime happy bliss. At least that's how I was when I still ate meat. My visits now are all seafood, which is just as stellar. Their savory sauces and marinades will keep you coming back. Some of the shellfish seafood here is uncommon and really fresh and tasty. Sorry, I've got to say that everything is excellent on it's own, but add beer and it really hits the spot! read more

One of these places that I've been meaning to go to for a long time now. Problem is, they're not open during lunch when Im usually in the area. Went on a Saturday night and it wasn't really all that crowded. Got the combination beef and pork bqq platter, the blue crab/tofu soup, kimchee fried rice with pork. It's interesting that the cook for you here and they have these cool iron plates that sit atop burners with a hole in the middle to drain the grill as things cook. I like the sides and the fishcake soup that comes before everything is tasty. The kurobota pork and black angus beef were all of solid quality. I think the rice might have been the least favorite of the things had because I was hoping for a much crispier texture. Otherwise the seemingly husband/wife team are super nice and this is a cool diamond in the rough in an area full of Korean eateries. read more

Soo... haven't yelped for a while :) ahhaha but had to say that this meat restaurant was one of the best I've ever tasted!! Aside from its shabby appearance (empty oil tanks with an over-sized metal lid and dusty ventilation system and dark atmosphere), the meat .. is almost incredible. I asked the lady why it tasted so good, and she said that they were the only Korean jip that sold black angus(?) meat. its supposedly the best kind of meat thats available. ITS HARD NOT TO BELIEVE THAT! They have this one combo thing that has filet mignon and other DELICIOUS meats. and WOW. amazing. FREAKIN amazing. i almost died. Like seriously. WOW. amazing. The only reason why i knocked off a star was because of 2 things. The banchan (sidedishes) were kinda... lacking. and the main soup that they serve, which is odeng soup is good (because its hot) but lacking in flavor. But for the most part, the price... was on the pricey side. $50 for 2 people... plus the tip so basically like $60. Would definitely recommend if you don't mind a shabby environment sort of high priced but DEFINITELY price worthy food. read more

This is a bold statement but this is the best Korean BBQ I've ever had in my LIFE! I've been to many different Korean BBQ restaurants in Seattle/Cali/NY and I've never been anywhere as good as this place. The meat here is organic and of the highest cut and quality. You won't see any of that frozen crap that you usually see at Korean BBQ restaurants. Everything here is fresh and you can be sure that you'll be biting into amazingly tender meat. They also don't believe in marinating their meat so that you can really taste its quality. What shocked me is that after grilling our meat, there was literally no grease that dripped into the grease pan! That only means that the meat is also very lean. You may think that with such high quality, this place must be really pricey but it's comparable to any other Korean BBQ place. I also left not feeling gross and stuffed which is always a plus. read more

I used to hate it here when my parents would come here late and night when I was a kid, while I slept on a couple chairs next to them waiting for them to finish eating.... But now I realize, boy, is it gooood. Their service is wonderful, a very kindly couple. Their meat is top-notch quality, last time I went we got to eat Kobe beef, not marinated but good just as it is. Their meat and seafood are all really fresh, though that does also mean it gets a little pricey. I don't know if I'd be willing to come here to eat without my parents paying, just yet... But we shall see. :-) Oh! And get the samgyubsal kimchee boggeumbap. Heh always so good, even to a stomach full with meat. read more

I love this place. The owners are a mom and pop and you can see and taste the effort they put into their food. I had a couple questions about their menu items and the mom was going into detail about the kinds of cuts they have for each meat. When it comes down to actually eating the food, the quality is all there. It's so much better than the meat you'll find at Tobang or Gooyi Gooyi and possibly as good as Chungdam (it just won't cost you an arm and a leg). Highly recommend to my friends. PS, their potato salad is out of this world. read more

Iibunjeep translates to #1 house. The meats are fresh and their dry aged meats are so freaking good. It's not cheap but it's not cheap because they are hand cutting and trimming all the meats they give you dry age options for kbbq and usda prime options. read more

Great amount of meat, particularly compared to Gooyi Gooyi, though different comparison, due to the unmarinated nature of meats. Nothing formidable, but quite satisfying, as Korean comfort food it is. Ban chan: Small selection. Usually a good indicator of the finesse of a K-restaurant, though this time, not so much. Rib eye: Great. Tender Braised beef: Great texture and taste. Pork belly: Great amount of taste and fattiness. Pork neck: Great texture. Generally, for those who are used to unmarinated meats look no further than Gooyi Gooyi, otherwise, this is a clearly stronger restaurant - not sure why its next door neighbor is more popular, other than the LA-style ambiance. read more

Great family place. Excellent quality meats. Melt in your mouth beef and tasty pork. The cold kim chi noodle is the best ever! Been here the last two weeks. read more

Another good hole-in-the-wall spot in the south bay if you want some Korean meat grilling action. It's best to go in groups of 4 or more since most of the items require a 2 order minimum, and you'll get to try more things on their menu. We ordered the combo plate which consisted of beef and pork. The meat was fresh and those sam gyup sal slices were nice 'n thick! I wanted to try some of their fried rice dishes that come out in a huge sizzling stone pot and portable gas stove, but with the 2 order minimum it would have been way way gluttonous. Yay to the food, mint green walls, and having Bath & Body Works soap & lotion stocked in the bathroom. Nay though for having to play the "Where's the ajuma?" game for 10 min when we needed our check. read more

Amazing place, the quality of the meat is great and their soups are delicious. We got the beef combo which was about $31 for two, I think, and the al tang (pollock roe soup). The Al tang is much better than what I've had in nicer restaurants in the area. The beef combo comes with the thinly sliced beef, brisket, and pieces of filet. They give you an odeng soup and a few side dishes to start, which are all fresh and tasty, and then they bring tons of lettuce to eat with the meat. The place is really small, warning! If they're packed, expect to wait about half an hour, and they don't have any seating where you can wait. I actually went to the 7-11 across the street to hoard Twinkies (from the Hostess apocalypse) and missed our turn, so had to wait an additional 15 minutes. It was worth it. ;) read more

In terms of meat quality, this is my favorite Korean BBQ place in the Bay. I love the unmarinated pork belly in particular, and you can't really go wrong with any of the combos. They have the essential dipping sauces, and the meat is always fresh. PROS: -Good Meat Quality CONS: -Fewer banchans than other KBBQ places (free side dishes) - I'm slightly disappointed by their banchan spread (or lack of), but what they do provide is tasty. -Service - Be prepared to flag people down to get any kind of service. Minus 1 star for service. read more

This is ridiculous. We arrived at 8:45 and the lady told us that they are closed at 9 pm so no more table while there was another group still waiting for their table like wtf. We checked on yelp before coming and it said they are closing at 10 pm. read more

i went here for dinner...the places was quite small...if you already go to korean bbq place in Koreantown in Los Angeles, dont expect too much from this restaurant..overall this place is good...i love their pork jows, brisket, and the tongue...services are good CONCLUSION = RECOMMENDED!! read more

Dusita was too busy next door and since I was starving, just tried out the bbq here. Left disappointed/unsatisfied, but full. I was shocked by how pricy this place was for meh service and food. Ordered #3 bbq combo for 2. Soup that it came with was good, but nothing special nor was the salad. Banchan was basically kimchi, japanese potatoe salad, cucumber kimchi, pickled strips of daikon and carrots, and sweet salty baby shrimp. =Asked for water and tea: forgot about it and took another hour to arrive in tiny cups. W.t.f. =no server checked on us for bahan refills or other needs = meat was not marinated which is fine, but for what you get isn`t really worth it. Idc about the meat since I`m not a big meat eater. Tobang has bbq for about the same, but it comes with more food items like soup, steamed egg plus rice or fried rice and their banchan choices are much better. I`m not korean nor have I ever been to korea so I can`t say my choice is better. Small restaurant with 10 tables each fitting max 6ppl. It`s near kotetsu ramen and l`amore adult shop. Really disappointed with this place. Total after tax before tip was $54ish. If dusita wasn`t so busy, I would`ve spent a lot less..... read more

First time here and dinner started out great. Ordered kurabuto pork belly, A5 wagyu, short rib, ribeye steak, pork belly, ramen and tofu soup. The complimentary soup was simple but well seasoned, ramen is on point but tofu soup was tasteless. Worse item was the most anticipated well priced $100+ for 12 oz of A5 wagyu ribeye cap. It is not ribeye cap, that explains the reason for the low price for A5 Wagyu. It may be A5 but it is a cheap cut ( ...beef short plate?) chewy and fatty. Their prime ribeye steak was grade choice at best! The short rib was tender and flavorful. Menu was simple and small; well marketed with quality product but did not meet exception. Service is nice but lacks attentiveness and product knowledge. Expect an auto gratuity of 18%. We had a party of 2 toddler and 3 adults, normally restaurant charges auto gratuity for party of 6 or more. Not sure what their auto gratuity policy is but it was out of the norm in the industry. Overall experience was ok but felt cheated and used; bamboozled. Over promised but under delivered. read more

Typical Korean broiler BBQ place with a glorious past. Seems the meat lost all the flavor from the cycle of freezing/defrosting/ and refreezing/re-defrosting. - Tasteless meat - Side dishes are still good, especially the potato salad read more

Really really yummy food. The Banchan was really good, especially loved the creamy potato salad, kimchee, salted and sweet mini shrimp. We got the all beef combo for two people. Even though the meat is not marinated, the quality of the beef was so good, the kalbi was delicious to eat as well as the filet. We also had plenty of dipping sauces. read more

OH DANG!!! THAS SOME GOOD STUFF!!! The Prime ANGUS (deung-shim) is sooo deliciously juicy....right up there with the best steak houses!! Don't plan on a sexy night out after because u gonna stank-a-lank!! Please please also avoid any and all movie theaters after you eat... the person next to you will hate you and even worse, you'll start to smell yourself too (gross!)...Wear your grubbin clothes when you go! :) For you first timers....make sure to order the kimchee bokum bap after you stuff your face with meat...they will cook it up for you on the grill in all the left over fat!! Finger lickin greasy good!! read more

Honestly, I used to love this place. However, the overall service of the place has exponentially become worse. My 2 friends and I dined here last week, and we were the only ones in the whole place for almost an hour. Not ONCE, did they come to check up on us. I had to repeatedly ask them for things: extra napkins, plates that they completely forgot to give us, water that was never given to us, water that we needed refilled, etc etc. Side dishes are pretty good...especially their mashed potatoes. They just recently raised their prices by 15%.... To give you an idea...a 2 person combo of assorted meat: $46.99. (used to be $39.99) If you want good Korean BBQ, you can find better elsewhere at a better price. If you want a smaller but still filling 1 person serving, Choi's restaurant is not bad...(especially during their lunch special...it's only $8.99) Or...there's always Palace Buffet which is around $25/person (roughly) read more

Came here for our date night. It seemed empty so we we decided to give it a try. The food was delish. We had the combo for two $56. Came with soup and a bunch of meat, ribeye, squid and shrimp. It was our first time and the server helped us cook! Beyond the call of duty is always a 5 star. Can't wait to go back. read more

This is a spot where I kind of wanted to be selfish and not yelp it. I don't want this place to get too popular. Its a great gem. We were waiting in line for Gooyi Gooyi when I looked on my yelp app. I looked at the reviews realizing that this place has way more stars. I went around to the other strip mall and looked in to see no wait! Why were there so many people outside of gooyi gooyi when this place has more reviews and many empty tables? I was concerned but I trusted my fellow Yelpers and my two friends and I decided to go for it. The decor is not impressionable, its basic, in fact some of the tables are giant pans set on an oil drum. The grill is not built in and sits above. We got the 3 person package (Combo #2) with thin brisket, pork cheek, pork belly and another cut of beef. This was plenty for the 3 of us. This place does not do AYCE but trust me it is just enough food! We were all full. Banchan was six plates, but good. I enjoyed their tiny shrimps, they tasted like the anchovies I've had at other banchan places. They serve you a fish cake soup and salad to start. Later on give you 3 onigiri rice balls. They also have side sauces and jalepeno and garlic. Today they did not have lettuce which was quite unfortunate (though I am not sure why they couldn't just buy more and come back?!) I love wrapping my meat in the lettuce! What a bummer. The service was somewhat attentive, I did have to call them over a few times but she did make sure to check on us and help us out with the grill. The meat quality was good and I was impressed. We had a great time and the service was very attentive. I would recommend to anyone who does not want to wait at the other crowded places. Don't tell too many people though! I want this place to stay KINDA secret! read more

total meat fest. pork belly, short ribs, ribeye, o my! throw it on the round grill and prepare to feast. start off with the fish cake soup full of spicy flecks of red pepper. the meal comes with banchan consisting of kimchee, pickled cucumbers, sweet shrimp, pickled daikon and carrots, a sweet and creamy potato salad. a side basket of lettuce leaf for you to wrap your hot and fatty meat. the dipping sauces are also very tasty. one is a sesame oil with salt and pepper, the other is like a garlic ponzu sauce which was my favorite. we also had an order of kimchee fried rice, large enough to feed 6. it wasn't as tasty as i had hoped, but was a good filler for starch with the oily meats. the quality of the meats was superb. no stringy texture, super tender, tasty, and well marbled. the couple serving us were nice and kept our waters filled. will be back to try the wagyu since they sold out this time! read more

Ilbunjee - Meat fest! - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Hubby and I went here last night and enjoyed a great meal. Its a very different Korean type restaurant. When you come in you see tables of makeshift round metal top on a 55 gallon drum. On top of the table are portable butane burner and grill. The meats come unmarrinated but comes with dipping sauces. We ordered a selection of meats that feeds two people for $47. We chose a selection of pork and beef. There were thin slices of beef, slices of steak and pork belly Its amazing how unmarinated meat can taste so good. The meat here is tender and when having pork belly, the simple dipping sauces such as sesame oil and sea salt makes it taste so good. They also have a dark dipping sauce which was great to dip my steaks in. You can also take the meat and wrap it in the romaine lettuce with the red paste. The meat comes with spicy fish cake soup that we started with which was delicious and wanted more. It was different then the usual tofu soups other Korean joints serve you. It also came with banchan dishes of kimchee, pickled dikon and a potato almost like having a potato salad. Overall enjoyed this place and will try the waygu beef next time. read more

This place rocks!!! Hands down my favorite little BBQ Korean joint in Northern California! The meat is always amazing and the sides are rightfully delicious. Mix that with great company, a few beers and you have a guaranteed recipe for good times!! My friends and I always go for the beef and pork grill combo (I think it's #3). If there's 4 of us, we'll get the combo for 3 people and we'll all still end up ridiculously stuffed. What really stands out here is the quality and taste of the food. It's a small place that's kind of tucked away but that only adds to it's charm. If you're trying to find it from El Camino, just look for the "#1" because you won't see the words "Ilbunjee" or "Pojangmacha" written anywhere from the outside (at least not in english). read more

The food was alright and issue here was they automatically charged 15% gratuity on party of 5 and i don't paying it but i didn't get the service to satisfy the fee they charged on the bill. Was it busy when we visited? No, there wasn't anyone around when we needed help. If you wanna charge gratuity then at least give the service to deserve it read more

They do serve good food with good meat quality. The worst thing is finding parking spot here.

I parked in a shady neighborhood where this old crazy guy was walking around talking to himself and the parking lot was completely full. A Adult video store was only a few hundred feet away from the restauraunt. My mother came to visit me and I suggest we try Ibunjee #1 via Yelp reviews. They sat in the restaurant first and were never greeted at the door while I was parking my car. She continues to sit for 5 minutes as I walk in. 10 minutes later still nothing, no menus or a even a hello. Keep in mind their are only 8 tables and 3 excluding ours were NOT occupied. I stare at the male server and ask him for menus. Still no hello, drops the menus off and walks away Sit there for 15 minutes and continue to wait. The floor are slippery, filthy, and gross I think they don't give a crap about us, I am furious and tell my family to leave. This is a horrible place, I am fairest to reviewing places but this place has been by far the WORST AND MOST TERRIBLE place for an asian restaurant ever. Maybe if your a regular or a family member they will be nicer to serve you. NEGATIVE 5 STARS read more

Tasty food, good customer service. Freshly made sauces with sea salt and organic seasonings and natural black angus beef (no antibiotics and no hormones). I highly recommend it. It is on the corner of El Camino Real and Los Padres. read more

Do you like meat? Of course you do. Otherwise you wouldn't go to a Korean BBQ place. Though expensive, the quality of the meat is so good it makes I feel like it fine to fork over a little more for quality (and that's a difficult statement for me to make because I like a good deal). The man and I shared the two-person beef and pork dinner and it was too much. We were force-feeding ourselves at the end. Everything was of highest quality but we liked the beef more than the pork so next time we go, we will just do the beef dinner. Not so much in terms of the sides but who cares? You're going for the meat. read more

You ever walk into a place and are immediately scared that you have made a terrible mistake, like Gob in Arrested Development. I actually had this exact experience when I walked into this place. I was meeting with some business friends and suggested this place based on reviews for yelp. Normally this is a very safe process. So, I walked in and my table was the only one with people on it. We were having a conversation and there was a slight smell of sewer in the place. Still there was no one there. Uh oh. What had I done. Well, we finally got around to ordering the food and it was excellent. The beef was very good, the portions were good and finally around 7 the crowd started pouring into the restaraunt. By the end of the meal, it was all good. I especially enjoyed the brisket. read more

My brother and I have been coming here for years. Wonderful small business with great dishes and great meats. Highly recommended!

I'm sad to say that I have no idea what I ate because one of my Korean friends took care of the ordering for me. The service, for an Asian establishment, was above average. The food was also unbelievable, but this could be due to the fact that I had nothing to eat the whole day. We had a party of 9, and although our tables were small, this helped us socialize more intimately over our communal meal. Our party was extremely loud, but the owners seemed amused by our obnoxious antics (random screaming, showcasing the latest dance craze on a chair, excited whispers about the dirty tapes we saw at the liquor store next door, loud descriptions of genitals). I love places with owners as tolerant as they were. read more