I went here last night with my fiancé and a couple of friends and felt I had to update my review. I have been to this place plenty of times and last night I have to say was honestly the first time we ever received such horrible service. It was BAD. So much so that us, a group of 4, on an $80 bill left a $5 tip. The wait staff was plain RUDE. I'm talking like you'd wave for them to come to your table and they'd blatantly look at you and turn and walk the other way. Only one guy looked familiar and he was on top of his game, he might be the owner actually. Everyone else didn't look like the usual staff. I hated the moron that seemed to be covering our area for the most part (Asian guy obviously with light brown hair combed downward). When we'd ask for more meat, he'd bring very little, I mean like 6oz of meat for 4 adults! He never checked up on us. Like I said, when we'd wave him down he'd look and go the other way. Actually, I'm lying, when we asked for the bill AND when it came to getting our money from us, he was on top of that shit. I give this place 2 stars for the food and nothing more. Honestly though, I'm going to give this place one more chance in hopes that they just had an "off night" because like I said, we've always had good service in the past. But if it's the same as last night, I'm out for good. read more

Absolutely delicious Korean BBQ! All choices of meats were succulent and delicious. The waitstaff was incredible. Made some great suggestions and very personable. Highly recommended! read more

Surprisingly high quality meats at an affordable price! You can get the steak which costs like $19.99 elsewhere here for only about $13! thats a huge deal breaker for me coz i love their steak! read more

J BBQ - Ma dang sae - Barbeque Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I smell Korean BBQ, I see Korean BBQ, I feel Korean BBQ, I hear Korean BBQ cooking from the inside and outside. Prepare to wear clothes you wash the next day. One of the best Korean BBQ restaurants I ate. Your party comes inside and is seated. The servers come to your table with appetizers less than a minute later and one of them asks what all you can eat type your party wants. All must order one type of all you can eat. You can't order separate types. Then the fun starts. The servers come with the food and you begin cooking. The servers bring more than enough portions for a cooking round, assist the customers in cooking and cutting the meat into small pieces, and replaces the grill with a new plate. Sometimes the servers check the grill heat settings. Sodas are served in cans. Always ask for more water and more napkins when you need them. Wait time is small. And remember to wear clothes you plan to wash the next day. You smell Korean BBQ when you walk out of the restaurant. read more

Normally, I'm a little nervous to eat Korean BBQ because it's so good, but I always drop $30 to eat it, which is a lot when you run a tight budget. But this place has really good specials on their all you can eat meats. Plus the atmosphere is pretty cool (beside the restaurant is a little market/meat section attached). Parking was tricky though. They have a small valet parking lot in the back, but other than that its street parking. Also, be careful when you look at the map the street names of the cross street at 901 S. Vermont is (James M. Wood not 9th St.). It can be confusing if you use Google Maps. Other than that great place! read more

I checked in to find a coupon for them, giving me $10 off a purchase of $80 or more on my next visit. So, on my next visit, I tried using my yelp coupon. Not only did they not recognize what it was, THEY DID NOT HONOR THE COUPON. I gave them the extra star because it's cheap to begin with. Sorry . . . for which to begin? read more

I am giving 2 stars because of the Food/Price factor. The all you can eat for $12.99 is just outstanding. But that's the only thing that is great about this place, unless you are Korean... Asking for anything almost took grabbing a waiter, and we usually had to ask twice. A couple of things we asked for NEVER showed up and we were overlooked practically the entire time we were there. It's a shame, the food is amazing, but I won't be going back any time soon. read more

Don't go! - stars The service is so slow and they don't bring the right orders and sometimes they don't bring the order at all Whenever we ask for sauce they never bring it. The cups and the forks are dirty This place literally sucks! read more

When I ate here, I actually really almost vomited at the table, I was so full. The meat is pretty good. Pork belly and the thick marinated beef where the favorites of the night. The side dishes were really not good. I didn't touch them much. After I saw everyone's face after eating the pickled bean sprouts, I really wasn't about to go anywhere near those. But I'm sure no one comes here for the sides. We were all about to explode at the end and so we didn't have them make the rice at the end. Hey and if you like the meat, you can buy it at their attached carniceria on the side. Yes, It says carniceria outside. read more

Very nice and clean place, has a variety of meats, affordable price also. All the staff very friendly and patience .. we went to celebrate my daughter birthday and was a surprise to all us they turned off the lights and they put happy Birthday song in the speaker and they sang, they brought a dessert and they gave her a pic.. super nice ...definitely will come back ... read more

J BBQ - Birthday board - Barbeque Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Very nice and fun atmosphere for a kbbq. Pretty lights decorated everywhere with some amazing kpop music playing in the background. If it's your birthday it's even better, they turn off the lights only leaving the colorful Christmas esque lights on. And they sign happy birthday to u. The food is also great. I'm only a brisket and bulgogi guy and the taste is amazing read more

Here's the place to go. If you and your friends complain about $17 ayce, read this. Love this. $7.99 all you can eat brisket and pork belly. $9.99 all you can eat marinated Korean bbq $12.99 all you can eat all of the above. You can't beat prices like these. This is a gem "tucked away" on the corner of Olympic and James M. Wood which you can easily pass without noticing since all corners in Koreatown pretty much look alike. Service is your average attentiveness - they will come to your table if you call out to them. Be prepared to project your voice, though, since the restaurant doesn't come equipped with the buttons that summons a server to your table. Knocking off a star for the "valet" parking provided in the lot behind the restaurant at $1. Plan to park at the street meters after 7pm along Vermont for free, because the valet situation in the lot is extremely questionable. The valet lot is operated by one man who is by no means professional (lacks business information, lacks appropriate attire), and can realistically fly out with your car at any moment. Plus, there are several homeless that take refuge in the lot and get into one sided gibberish quarrels with the lot operator. Made me completely uneasy the last time I went. Aside from this, I am impressed that one can enjoy a good Korean bbq meal at less than half the price of main competitors in Koreatown. It's one of the best-kept secrets in town, but hopefully they get more exposure over time. read more

Please read!!!!!! Horrible service, it was pure harrasment!! I was brought here by my friend possibly a year or two ago. After I've brought other friends and my gf.(keep in mind we always tip) So today I thought I'd come here again with my gf and my mom. 1st I asked for water for myself...and 2 pepsies, they brought the pepsies, we ate the salad and still no water. 2. I waived the waitress over and asked for my water again which she brought once she had served the other table their meats. But I let it go. 3. After I had to wave waiters down for misc items (napkins, refill of their sauce,and the bill) I go up and pay my bill which was almost $60 For 3 people (not a bad price) I go out to pay the valet employee to get my car and a waitress comes out (soo young is her name) "tip is not included" ...I looked at my gf...and said "ok?" She extended her hand and pretty much demanded for me to give her a tip. I told her "mmm no" which she then went on asking why, is the service bad? Why aren't you tipping? ....again I told her "...no, I'm not giving you a tip" (SHE WASNT EVEN OUR WAITRESS !!!) Keep in mind I'm in shock on what's happening...when she pretty much tells at me as she walks away "yeah, well next time stay home and cook" The valet employee,my gf and i are left standing there in shock, I didn't even know what or how to react, he apologized for her and was very kind. I went in and demanded to speak with a manager, which at this time soo young, a male employee and Sara are speaking in their language...Sara asks what's wrong I explain to her, while I'm trying to speak to her SOO YOUNG is pretty much yelling over me and walking closer to me and states "you people sat there and ordered all the meats and don't even tip" (I thought if we chose a certain list a,b,c we could choose whatever you want but clearly not) BUT FOR THE RECORD WE ONLY CHOSE BULGOGI AND SPICY CHICKEN -(I ACCIDENTALLY ORDERED SOME OTHER TYPE OF CHICKEN, SAID NM JYST BULGOGY AND SPICY CHICKEN BUT WAS BROUGHT ALL 3 OF THEM...AGAIN BAD SERVICE AS WHWN I WAS ORDERING, THE WAITRESS WASNT EVEN MAKING EYE CONTACT JUST NODDING) I was trying to explain to Sara that her attitude and the way she's speaking to me-a paying customer is not right and not proffesional, she replied by saying she agrees THAT ITS NOT HER FIRST TIME DOING THIS AND MANAGER HAS SPOKEN TO HER ABOUT IT ALREADY. AGAIN I ASK TO SPEAK W/MANAGER OR SUPERVISOR WHICH THEY CLAIM HE ISNT THERE. I walk out, but come back in for a business card and name SOO YOUNG starts again with me, at this point my mom is with me, another lady who was waiting to be stated that soo young is like that and is shaking her head. My mom tried to interfere and tells SOO YOUNG we all work and that tip isn't mandatory (horrible service=no tip) so now SOO YOUNG IS NOW RAISING HER VOICE AT MY MOM...My MOM pulls out her wallet and opens it asking SOO YOUNG HOW much money does she need? SOO YOUNG says she doesn't want money, she is so mad that my mom and I are scared she might launch at us (she was shaking from the anger ALL THIS TIME SARA IS TRYING TO PRETTY MUCH CALM HER DOWN)...we end up walking out We give $ to the valet employee, again he's telling us how sorry he is that this happened but asked us to not let this stop us from coming back (he was very very very polite and made us feel better) ...Then SARA comes out and states "you're STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS?" I didn't want to deal with her too so I said thank you to the valet employee and we left, as I was leaving it seemed that he was being yelled at like if he was in trouble. WHEN ALL HE DID WAS HIS JOB AND TRIED TO MAKE A HORRIBLE SITUATION BETTER. ITS DISGUTING HOW WE WERE HARRASED BY SOMEONE WHO WASNT EVEN OUR WAITRESS, AND SPECIALLY TO BE TOLD SHES DONE IT BEFORE...AAANNNDDD MANAGEMENTHAS SPOKEN TO HER ABOUT IT? HORRIBE HORRIBLE!!! if ANY OF YOU eat here when SOO YOUNG IS HERE MAKE SURE U PRETEND TO ENJOY THE SERVICE AND TIP AS CLEARLY SHES THE TIP POLICE.. read more

This place sucks the meat was old and they charged us for water. They snatch the THONGS of your hands without telling you when you are flipping the meat. The waitress automatically assume I didn't speak English (I'm Latino) and just gave me bad service on top of that she had the audacity to charge us tip and a service fee. They get really upset if you ask for grill change. I saw a roach by the bathroom. NEVER COMING BACK TO THIS PLACE!!! Just go to Stone Grill is two blocks down. read more

For a cheap meal it's decent enough. 10 bucks for all you can eat. I love brisket, but I found the brisket was a little too thick at this restaurant which didn't make it very enjoyable. Service was good, however my friend who was korean did all the ordering so our needs were met. If we didn't have a korean with us, service might be a different story. read more

Great Korean ALL YOU CAN EAT BBQ for $8.99, $9.99, $13.99 or $17.99!!!! My brother Alex is very picky about his food. I took him to Ma Dang Sae one day. Let's ask Alex.... He LIKES it! I've been here about five times now and I really like the quality of the service and the meat. Your meal comes with delicious side dishes like glass noodles, kimchi, sweet potatos, japchae and soy spouts in sesame oil and many other delicious items. The sesame oil with salts you dip the meat in is great. I really love their sweet beef and chicken. My brother, a big sirloin fan, said the sirloin was really good. You can't beat the prices either. I've had both the $9.99 and $13.99 deals and both are quite satisfying!!!! It gets really busy so you can't expect the waiters to be as super attentive as you'd like but watch them! These guys hustle! They are pretty friendly when they have the time to be. The upbeat atmosphere here makes me want to learn some Korean like my brother. It gets really packed so come early like around 6pm!!!! The main bad thing about this place is getting seated in the infamous annex with poor ventilation. The annex is also too bright. When you have a small party it seems they send you to that room. Not cool. Large parties get priority in the well ventilated room. I noticed that after four visits. Once we had to insist they sit us in the good room and they did though. Parking is a problem but there is cheap valet parking. Usually we park a couple of blocks west up James M Wood from the place. It never takes too long to find parking. It's funny. I never would have come here were it not for the fact that two friends and I went to an upscale Korean BBQ and didn't like the fact that there weren't any of the all you can eat deals. So we left and I pointed out Ma Dang Sae to them. The rest is history! Tae-dan-hi kam-sa-ham-ni-da, Ma Dang Sae!!!! read more

I really wanted to like this place since it was 9.99 AYCE Kbbq. However, it was kind of gross. The inside of the restaurant is divided into two areas, the main one and a make shift area that looks like it used to be a deli? We were seated in the make shift area and it was dirty looking and exposed power cords and electric lines were everywhere. Did not look good at all. The food itself was meh. We ordered the bulgogi, brisket and pork belly. I didn't care for the brisket and the bulgogi had a good marinade, but the meat itself was in such poor quality. The pork belly was decent. The banchan that came with the meal was not appetizing, especially the sad looking salad? I was also upset that the steamed egg on the menu we were only allowed to order one and another one would be charged extra. They should note that on the menu. Also, rice was extra which was again was weird to me. Anyway, the meat was gross but we ate it and we were full. Probably not returning here and I'd pay more to get good quality ayce kbbq when in LA. read more

This is our fave spot. The prices are fair, we get the "B" menu for dinner and pay about $85 pre-tip. The meat is fresh and not too fatty and the kimchi bean sprouts along with the salad are on point! My hubby loves the potato salad and we all enjoy the complimentary choco pies! The service is excellent and consistent. They have a few photos tacked to the wall of customers so it's really personal and you feel welcome seeing your own picture up there. We eat here every chance we get and will continue as long as we can. read more

Definitely my new favorite Korean BBQ place. Let me start out with after many experiences with servers ignoring me (due to my lack of Korean or Korean friends), I grew accustomed to having to ask repeatedly for even the simplest things (like more water). The meat was decent--they even offer shrimp (still in the shell), as well as a sirloin steak (served as an actual steak, and they cut it up later). Damn... all for only 12.99, I was impressed. (Other reviews have it $1 more expensive... maybe they lowered the price since then, or gave us a lunch menu? I'm not sure...) They even have all you can eat brisket and pork belly for $6.99 if that's all you're into. To get the full menu, you pay what I did ($13), but it's worth it to get the marinated beef, sirloin, and shrimp as well (they also offer more exotic fare, such as tongue, intestine, and stomach). Their banchan was decent... I've definitely had better bean sprouts elsewhere, but considering the price and the quality of customer service, I'll take it. Our servers even topped off our water and our sauces... without us even asking!?!? And they changed our grill... again without us asking?!? Wtf? That never happens at a KBBQ place. How I'd describe it--all the best things about Korean BBQ but with actual customer service. read more

Alrighty, so I am not an EXPERT on Korean BBQ. I think I have a pretty good handle on what is delicious though. This place has a lot of good, some so-so and some bad. The good: The meat is a pretty good quality. In fact, every cut was pretty fresh and nicely colored and once eaten, very flavorful. The marinated options were sweet and salty, just like I like them and the fresh cuts were tender and grilled well. The so-so: The Banchans were not anything to write home about. I did like the macaroni salad, but the rest I really could have lived without. Their grills are not all in the table, some are elevated up on these little stove top type gas thingers. I didn't like that too much. The grill got weird and didn't eat evenly. The service was, well, I guess it was okay. They seemed annoyed that we were there for a large portion of the evening but truthfully I was not really bothered by it. We were enjoying the company of our party so whatever. The Bad: The waiters were hard to flag down and kept turning off our grills in the assumption that we were done. Nope, sorry guys, we are all big eaters and we were in it to win it. The bill came and it was not itemized or clear as to what we were being charged for. For 7 of us, the bill was $208.45. Hm. Well I know that we all had the $18.00 all you can eat option, and then we had 2 bottles of soju and one beer. I am no mathematician but unless those soju's were $15.00 each (and they were tiny half liter ones) then I am not too sure. We didn't make a stink about it, we just paid and went on our merry way. Oh, and they only take 2 cards per party so you have to get out cash. Over all, meh. Not bad though. Meat is good. I will likely go in search of a better place. I usually go to (formerly Manna) [m]eat on Olympic but they weren't answering the phone. :-/ read more

After trying several other KBBQ places, this is the one I seem to return to time and time again. It's just good. That's all. And the valet is $1. read more

The food is really good here. My gf and i went there because we did not want to wait 2hrs for castle Korean BBQ. The food was good, good atmosphere, and affordable price. We picked option A which was $10.99 for all you can eat. We ate the brisket, spicy chicken, and calamari. The waitresses were really nice. The negatives for this place was that they make you wait in line next to the restrooms. The manager was super rude when we asked about the wait time and when we asked if we can get more beef. I notice he would give other patrons attitude when they would ask for more beef or chicken. He also tried to turn off our grill when we were still eating. I would've giving this place 4 stars but the manager was very unprofessional. If you have a problem with customers ordering more food then I suggest he not offer the all you can eat option. read more

This place is amazing! Really nice employees and great meal! Did I mention it's all you can eat?! Kinda hidden in the corner of a street in Korea Town, but totes worth it. read more

J BBQ - So good! All you can eat! - Barbeque Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Good choices for such an affordable price, great service very friendly, quite small venue especially if you got a big group but they try to accommodate you as soon as possible Will definitely come back and have been AYCE for minimum of $12.99 read more

I wrote a review already for this place but in othere acc.. Anyways awesome place .. Maybe the best one so far in over 10 years of my experiwnce with kbbq. But if you looking por premium quality type of meat.. Maybe this not tour place and you probably bitch about it.but if you decent quality meat and proper korean bbq flavot come here. Dude you will love it.. People are friendly here and they always walk around the table in case you need something.. Awesome place! read more

The first AYCE that I visited in Ktown and I fell in love, is cheap and yummy! I go all the way to L.A. just to eat here! read more

This place was so good , the costumer service was great. I went to celebrate my bday and they say with out even asking it was super sweet they also gave me a candle. Overall experience was great would definitely go again!!! read more

Really fast service is the firs thing I have to say about this restaurant. It's very small but so far the wait to sit was not long. The parking is the only bad thing, the area is very busy but they offer valet. The quality of the meat is great, I especially love the pork belly. read more

I made an account just to share my experience at Ma Dang Sae, heh (: Anyway, yesterday was my first official time trying KBBQ and I've got to say that this was a pretty bomb experience. The pricing was great, especially for the choices they give you (#2!) I was surprised at how much I ate. Four other friends went with me and I was the last one eating. Especially surprising since I never eat big meals (I usually eat small meals but often). Our server was nice but I guess it's because she really wanted a tip... After the meal, she literally chased after us to ask for a bigger tip saying some BS about required gratuity (but we were only a group of 5 people!) So overall, the food was great, pricing was great. The only turn-off was the fact that our waitress chased after us OUTSIDE the restaurant asking us for a bigger tip... (We gave it to her. We liked her, but we kinda needed bus money to get back home...) read more

It's actually my second time going to this place. My first time was with my friends Summer of 2010. I actually didn't like it at first, I thought the meat quality was inferior compared to other KBBQ I've had. But I came back recently for a family dinner. The meat quality was alot better than I thought. The price is really good for what they give you. The service was okay, but the waitress almost burnt me with the hot pot. She clearly saw I was doing something I couldn't stop yet she still continued to say excuse me when the pot was literally two inches from burning me. Over all, a great KBBQ for the price. read more

We went around 4pm so there was no wait and parked in their lot for free. $10 AYCE, what a deal....

Super good cheap food. The bulgogi is so delicious. I got the $10 deal. The pork belly was flavorless :( but everything else was so good. Great prompt service. read more

This is my go-to $9.99 KBBQ location since they offer the most options for meats for the price. In terms of quality, you get what you pay for. They take reservations for large groups, though the ventilation in the back room needs improvement. You should be fine if seated in the main room though, but arrive early especially on weekends because the line can get long if you don't have a table reserved. They offer student discounts as well if you show your student ID. read more

been coming here for years! its been over a year since i last came. they have outdoor seating and indoor seating. i believe indoor seating is all you can eat. theres 3 different menus to order from (different pricing), we got menu A & it was great! the service is good; we waited around 10 mins for a table on friday night, so glad i came back!!! my fav kbbq spot! read more

I always look at LA as a Korean food haven, especially since NYC is a decrepit wasteland of overpriced, mediocre, Korean food. A local friend took me here: all you can eat (and drink)? KOREAN BBQ? The stuff that normally costs 20$ a plate (no kidding) over in KTown NYC? The meat selection for the all you can eat section isn't phenomenal, but it's adequate. I'm a big fan of the fatty pork belly. But I'm a big fan of fatty meat in general. I also like wrapping the meat in rice sheets they provide, rather than lettuce. Vegetables? Tah, they only pollute the fatty meat. As Joel Y mentioned, try not to put yourself into ketosis, because at the end the server will come over and dump a vat of rice into the delicious juices and oils that have accumulated on the grill to make fried rice. read more

This place is pretty good for all-you-can-eat. I think it was $18. The all-you-can-eat is limited to certain items, bulgoki, pork belly, etc. No chicken and no galbi. You can get galbi if you want, but it is extra. They were nice enough not to charge us. That's the benefit of rolling with the Korean speaker. The side dishes were pretty good. Not particularly extravagent, but not lacking either. Service was friendly, but a little unattentive. I don't think it was intentional, it probably was rookie night. You could always flag someone down. Parking is valet behind the restaurant (it's a yellow building on the SW corner). Enter on James M. Wood. It's a $1.50. Tip the valet dudes. They're cool and they're bored smoking their This and That cigarrettes. They appreciate the tip because probably a lot of cheap bastards don't tip 'em. Overall, it is a decent place to get your grub on. Good value for the price you pay. Not sure if I'd roll here without Korean backup, though. read more

BLURB: $13.99 for all you can eat Korean BBQ for dinner? Great deal, right? Sure, if you're willing to settle for mediocrity. This place lacks variety and the quality of meat is quite disappointing. The only thing I seemed to enjoy here was the beef brisket - the texture was good, but the taste - there was none. (rewind) SETTING: A group of friends and I went hiking for a few hours earlier in the day and wanted to reward ourselves with some gluttony in the form of Korean bbq. So one friend suggested Madaongsae because it was only $14. Everyone agreed to give it a shot and have a good time. So we meet up at the joint and 6 of us get stuck right next to the door, crammed and huddled around a small table/grill. There was practically nowhere to put my plate down since most of the surface area was occupied by the panchan. I do have to give it to them. The service was pretty quick and efficient, getting us our food quickly, refilling our waters on command, and changing our grills so quickly, we didn't have to go hungry while waiting. FOOD: The salad was good - need to balance all that meat with your greens. The broccoli was probably their best panchan, the kimchee was passable and the sprouts were edible. The other panchan failed to wow me, especially the potatoes. If there is one panchan I love and look forward to, it's the potatoes, and boy did MDS drop the ball on this one. They were sweet, as in coated in a layer of syrup - bleghck! With regards to the meat, we were limited to steak (too hard and dry to chew - and it wasn't due to over cooking), the fatty Korean bacon (ughck), the beef brisket (not bad), the cow tongue (too rubbery for my taste), and an assortment of cow innards (no thanks...) They gave us the typical MSG in oil and chili sauce for dipping, as well as the bean paste and rice paper to wrap the meat in. Other than that - everything was lacking in flavor. VERDICT: After coming here for a second time, this most recent outing was probably the last time I step foot here. Simply because I've had better. Yes, the price is a bargain, but I'd rather pay more for better taste. Even the person who suggested it (who had been here several times) felt it was a mistake to recommend it. BONUS: As we left the restaurant, we saw a female cop cuffing some punk kid. My half of the party went to a car away from the scene, but the other half walked right through the scene, leaving the officer quite ticked. Hah! read more

I may be biased because all-you-can-eat-kbbq is SO expensive up in the NorCal. BUT IT WAS SO DAMN GOOD. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. It was so worth my money. Paid $12. What the hell, Norcal? Get on with this. (Tip, don't wear nice clothes here. You will walk out the store smelling like a barbequed cow) read more

9.99 All You Can Eat without breaking the bank! 5 types of meat - brisket, chicken, marinated beef, marinated pork, forgot the last one Refills for panchan were plentiful. Downside: Parking's a pain, and poor ventilation. read more

This place would get at least one more star from me if they only had a few more items on their base menu price point . Its typical korean all you can ear barbecue.... exhaust doesnt seem to be sucking all the smoke blowing to my face and by the time i got in my car, i smell like a giant cooked bugogi. That was the only negative i could think of, besides that, quality of food is above average despite the limited selection. Service is very good, fast and friendly which is quite surprising for a korean all you can eat since in the past, most of the servers of these kind of joints are mostly curt, annoyed easily and sometimes downright unfriendly. We got service with a big smile which was great . You get free soda too if you checked in yelp which was cool. I will definitely add this place as an option of my go to places if my family or visitors and guests ever request for korean all you can eat bbq. By the way.. they do have free parking behind their building. read more

See all