WOW. This restaurant is a gem in the middle of Richardson. Joy Kitchen is your little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that's open until the early evening hours. With great prices on Korean food (not just your typical KBBQ), you have the opportunity to have great, affordable, and home cooked meals here! With orders being about $9.75 each (some of the premium dishes are $11+), you will get a huge serving of food. I tried the Galbi dish ($11), and was impressed by the quality, flavor, and size of the dish. The restaurant also offers complimentary AYCE rice and Kimchi (woo!). To keep costs, everything is self-service. This Mom and Pop Korean kitchen is definitely amazing. I'm looking forward to coming back again and again! read more

Loves coming here for their kimchi soup & Osam squid dish. The best combination I would say if you want some soup dish and grill dish to try on. Their Osam sauce are the best, I literally can eat the sauce with white rice only! It's a self service restaurant, which I love this kinda mom & pop shop. Must try! read more

Joy's Kitchen is a childhood favorite of mine! I remember coming here with my family after church because it was just down the road. I went back today with my dad and the owner even remembered us after all this time, haha. There's nothing extraordinary about this place walking in, but that's what you have to appreciate about authentic, homecooked restaurants. The ambience is so homey and the food is great! They have a permanent menu taped on the right wall and also a daily rotating menu on the left wall! I'm so glad I was able to stop by on a Wednesday because I was able to order HweDupBap, which is sashimi-grade fish mixed with vegetables, rice and Korean pepper paste! It was delicious and I would definitely go back to try their jokbal they have available on Friday and Saturdays! Because of the simplicity of this restaurant, the side dishes (kimchi) are self-serve as well as the (purple) rice and drinks! They have regular water, iced barley tea and Korean sweet rice dessert drink. I love the rice drink so much :) glad this place is still open and would be my first choice for Korean food in the area!! read more

Joy Kitchen - YUM. - Korean Near Me - Richardson, Texas

If you've been wanting to try this spot and have been hesitant, don't be. The food is DELICIOUS! This was my first time trying purple rice and I am hooked! The spice level was perfect for my liking! I had the spicy pork stir-fry with vegetables and the sauce was perfection! The meal comes with a series of small plates of veggies including kimchi. All very delicious! I can't wait to go back! read more

Some of the best Korean we have had in Dallas. For some reason we always end up ordering Mandu in addition to whatever else we order I tend to stick with the A1 as it is my favorite, however the seafood pancake is delicious, huge and very filling. My husband explores the menu more and my favorite that I have tried of his order is the Budae jjigae. read more

If only this place opens weekends and later at night!! I love going here for their daily specials; food is always consistent and great. Prices are also very reasonable for the amount of food that you get. My favorite is the fact that I can grab as much side dishes, rice, barley tea, and sweet rice drink as I want since it's self service! I'm a sucker for sikhye For some, the self service and clean up you do here may throw them off, but personally I kind of enjoy that. I get to help make the staff's day a little easier by cleaning up after myself haha. read more

Joy Kitchen - Korean Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Self serve everything. Don't expect anyone to come out from behind the counter. We have mixed feelings about it but the food was solid.

I tried this korean place for the first time. It is cheaper than other places but 1. It is self serve 2. Not as many side dishes as other places And maybe they use msg? but I got a stomachache after I had one of their soups. The taste was decent but I wouldn't return read more

The menu is large with many options. The soup comes out very hot and the short rib and cabbage soup was delicious.

Where do I even begin? This place is beyond good. Before every coming here I never had Korean food before. This definitely set the tone for every Korean restaurant I ever go to from now on. The food gave me soul food but Korean lol if that makes sense, 10/10 recommend. read more

Walking in, I felt like I was entering an authentic Korean home! The environment is extremely cozy and quite adorable in my opinion. At $8.50 per item I say it's doing good on the price! It's value actually. You get one entree of your choice and unlimited rice (IT IS PURPLE TOO) and access to the kimchi bar and specialty drinks. That sounds like a fulfilling meal to me! Joy Kitchen is surely quick to get your food out and ready within minutes but be sure to clean up after yourself when you are done. It's more of a self service kitchen. I didn't know this my first time so it was awkward. SAVE YOURSELF AND CLEAN. I actually really appreciate that they do this because I think it truly brings in the Asian culture and teaches you to clean up and take care of things on your own. I love it! Will definitely be coming back more often and trying different dishes! read more

This is probably around the 10th+ time that I have visited Joy Kitchen. I don't think that I have ever been truly disappointed by this establishment. The regular menu is to the right when you enter and the daily specials menu is to the left. I was a little sad when they raised the prices of the dishes to $9 and implemented the fee for sharing but I understand. They have a self serve area where you can get as much purple rice, kimchi, sweet rice drink, and barley tea as you want. For $9, you get what you pay for; the portions are pretty big. Honestly, if you order anything from the menu I don't think you'll be disappointed. All the dishes taste good but I highly recommend the bulgogis and soups/stews. Since the first few times that I have been, I've noticed that it is much more organized and possibly even cleaner now?? They even put artwork on the walls to make for a better dining experience. It has been really nice to see how far this restaurant has come! read more

Joy Kitchen - Gamjatang, bulgogi beef, and kimchi - Korean Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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Authentic and downright delicious! My mah would be proud I found a spot so gewd!! Even during Covid, this place is still great

Great family spot! Food was excellent, customer service excellent. I've been looking for a good "family" style Korean restaurant and Joy Kitchen is it! read more

Looking for some cheap homestyle korean food? Joy Kitchen is the perfect place. Orders are $9 each for a fairly good portion. The meal costs $13 if you are sharing. There is a daily menu that offers different dishes every day. With your order you can get an unlimited amount of kimchi and purple rice. The purple rice is extremely filling and the kimchi is decent quality. They also offer barely tea and sweet rice dessert. The tea & dessert are both delicious and refreshing. My go to orders is the Yukgaejang(spicy broth with beef, vegetables, and clear noodles), and Spicy Bulgogi. The yukgaejang is not super spicy and it goes great with rice. It has a rich beef flavor, and the noodles complimented the broth well. The bulgogi is a little too salty to eat by itself, but it goes great with the purple rice. My only complaint is that it comes with way too much bean sprouts. Overall, the food is worth the price. read more

The first feeling that I had when I walk into this resturant was the feeling of home. It's a nice small restaurant with barely over 30 seats but the food here is definitely home made. I ordered a spicy seafood tofu soup and the flavor is on point! I love this homey feeling and the food here is amazing. The lady at the cashier gave me the feels of my own mom who lives separate from me. The motherly figure that she has surprised me. It is very rare to see restaurant like this. Definitely coming back for the food and environment of this nice little restaurant! read more

Joy Kitchen - Spicy seafood tofu soup - Korean Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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I called in so I could make sure they had tak tori tang (spicy chicken soup) and they said yes, but then I got there and they sold out! :( Apparently she doesn't make it on thursday, just had some leftover from yesterday. Instead I got sam gye tang (ginseng chicken soup)..really healthy, fresh, and tasty. Oh also a note, it's not for those ppl who like the crusts off their sandwiches, if you know what I mean. There are all kinds of bone and gristle and huge chunks of garlic and other stuff in there so don't be surprised. I will be back for my spicy soup next week! read more

The best little Korean restaurant in town! You know it's good when it's packed with Koreans. Try it! You won't regret it. In fact, I might by letting this secret little place get better known. Finding a table is getting harder during lunch hours! read more

This is a hole in the wall Korean BBQ restaurant that has great service and food! Everything on the menu is $8.50 so you can't go wrong. This is the place to go if you just want authentic Korean food and don't care too much about ambiance. The service is great she was very friendly and helpful with explaining the menu, since I was a newbie. I decided to go with the grilled Mackerel. I went with friends and they had pork feet, spicy fish stew, and beef bulgogi. After ordering, there is a kimchi bar buffet thats self serve. You just grab whatever type of sides and purple rice you would like. Drinks are included too and they have this barley drink with rice on the bottom that is very delicious and sweet but not too sweet. I would definitely order the grilled Mackerel again and again. The plate came out sizzling and you get 1/2 a portion of fish. It was seasoned perfectly and very tender. Hands down the Grilled Mackerel is my favorite out of the other dishes! The Fish Stew and beef bulgogi were also very tasty. They both came out sizzling as well. You can choose the spicy level you would like on each meal. If you love spicy food your in for a treat because most of their meals contain a decent amount of spice unless stated. Portions were a good size enough for one person without leftovers. read more

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The food here is always so good and reasonably priced. It is one of my favorite places in the area for Korean food. My favorite is the seafood pancake appetizer. read more

My happy place :) When I found this place out, I came here at least 2 times a week. HOMEMADE DELICIOUSNESS. GENEROUS PORTIONS, FLAVORFUL AND INEXPENSIVE. Their menu is on the right wall when you walk in, and daily specials are on the left. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the gamjatang (pork bone soup), chicken potato stew, ginseng chicken soup, allll their bulgogis, tofu soup - ok, basically their whole menu. The rice and kimchi are all self serve. Their kimchi is pretty fresh (NOT fermented and sour), which is the way I like it. They also have self serve shikhye (sweet korean rice drink) and unsweet barley tea. Mix the two if you find the shikhye too sweet. I don't know if they changed ownership, but when I went yesterday, the place looked alot more organized and clean. The restaurant use to be a little messy (which I didn't mind because the food is so authentic). But I really do appreciate how they tidied this little restaurant up - makes the whole experience for everyone more enjoyable! Additionally, you have to clean up after yourself, so remember to take your empty plates to their designated areas. I always make sure I clean up my table well to show how much I appreciate the quality of food (and for a cheap price too)! read more

Joy Kitchen - Gamjatang (pork bone soup) and chicken ginseng soup!Hugee portions and so flavorful :) - Korean Near Me - Richardson, Texas

It's been 4 years since last time we visited Joy Kitchen. During the pandemic time, Joy kitchen still offers dine in service. They set up social distance between each table. We ordered spicy pork and squid stir fry with vegetables ( which is bean sprouts), pork neck bone soup, and the hot stone bulgogi. They all came with purple rice. For the hot stone bulgogi, the soup flavor a bit sweet. Not spicy at all. The beef was a bit dry, but over all I like this soup. There are glass noodles in the soup. For the pork neck bone soup, the pork was so tender. It came out of the bone easily. There are potatoes, glass noodles in it. For the spicy pork snd squid, it is served with hot iron plate. The flavor is good. Not much squid in it. I might try spicy pork with kimchi stir fry next time. It used to be like a half buffet style. You get your own rice, side dishes, and tea. I especially love the sweet rice tea. But they stop working like that, and I guess it was because of COVID. Now you can still have the sweet rice tea, but you need to pay for it. read more

Joy Kitchen - Pork neck bone soup, spicy pork and squid stir fry - Korean Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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I love this place! They have a standard price for everything and the portions are really generous! The lady at the register really pays attention to the customers, for instance when we ordered a raw fish salad we didn't know if it came with sauce and she gave it to us! The one thing I actually do not like about this place is probably the anxiety that you're gonna trip and fall when carrying your boiling soup to your table. And that fact that they're not open on the weekends! This place is a lovely hole in the wall and I wish that I have the time to come back throughout the week to try more of their daily specials. I recommend trying the neck soup! read more

I haven't been back here in a long while and I'm kicking myself for not having been back sooner. It's a small Korean food place in a shopping strip next to a donut shop and a nail place. Of all the times I've been here I've never had a problem of the intrusive weird nail polish smell that some other places get when right next to a nail place. This visit I had the Bulgogi and since I ordered in Korean I think that's why the Korean Ajumma ("Older Lady ") asked if I wanted it to be spicy. Order it spicy! If you've had Korean Bulgogi before, getting it spicy is even better and flavorful, that is if you can handle the kick. After ordering at the counter, you have to get your rice, sides, and water/tea/sikhye (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhye). The ahjumma will get you a tray and you just get whatever kind of sides you like, or would like to try. Of course, they have kimchi and today they had some fermented soy bean flavored kimchi and then a cool refreshing cabbage soup that has a tiny hint of red bell pepper. As for the rice it's not your normal sticky white rice, but the healthier rice (as my parents would tell me before forcing me to eat when I was younger) that's kind of blue/purplish color with added beans and other grains. It's really not that bad. During their lunch hours today, business seemed fairly ok and I got my food within 5-10 minutes. As you're eating you can also watch some of the Korean dramas on their TV. Whenever I watch some foreign show I'll try to create my own funnier dialogue. How I ever get bored is beyond me. read more

I'm very happy now that Joy Kitchen is in my life. This is a no-frills kind of place. You walk in and check the menus on the right (staple menu items) and the left (daily specials). You walk up to the counter and order. The ajummah behind the counter asked if we had been there before and gave us a quick run-down. Self-serve kimchi (radish, Napa cabbage, water), rice, drinks. You are cautioned not to grab more than you will eat, which I mean, is pretty reasonable. They'll call your order and you grab your food and EAT. I had kimchi budae jjigae and it was really good (though I do think Jin Mi in Plano might be a little more delicious. A little). My Companion had dak galbi, which was good. The ddeok in it was really good. You bus your own table when you're done. We went on a Monday for lunch, and it was full but not crowded. Overall, a great experience for a great price. 100% will go back. read more

Joy Kitchen - Budae jjigae! - Korean Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Do NOT be fooled by the images on Google maps. At the same time, do not be discouraged when you pull up and leave. It's a place to get a yummy dinner for $10, but do not expect impeccable service or ambiance. Here's the breakdown for my experience: Food- 4 stars. Good home cooked Korean food, but would not be worth my trek from Plano. If you're in the neighborhood, it's worth a visit. The side dishes, which are my favorite part of Korean food, are self serve. The catch, there's only 3 sides, at least when I was there--Kimchi, radish, pickled mustard greens. Ambiance- fluorescent lighting and cheap cafeteria feel. Service- Poor. At 7:55PM, the owner loudly proclaimed, "We close at 8 so yeah. Oh, does anyone want a to go box?" So...after being kicked out at 7:55PM, I've decided this place is not for me to return to in the future. However, I'm glad that I got to try it. read more

I tried tofu soup with kimchi and it's definitely the best in town. The best Korean restaurant I have tried in the area. Decent price and great food! read more

Joy Kitchen - Tofu soup with beef / kimchi. - Korean Near Me - Richardson, Texas

THE UPDATE I'm angry... confused... just TOO GOOD. I came on a Thursday at noon with like 600 of my friends (jk it was 6 people) and this place was bumpin'. Like, packed. It was awesome. I was so proud. Ordering was a tad chaotic due to ostensibly peak hours, but it was still great service and ya can't beat the price. This time I got meatless dolsot bibimbap... guys, I could cry. It was stellar. The self-serve kimchi also had me pretty emotional. I eat with my feelings, okay. PLEASE do yourself a favor and eat with your feelings (too?) at Joy Kitchen. For the rest of my opinions and prostration to this establishment, defer to my original review. THE ORIGINAL Came here with my mom on a Wednesday evening- we fell in love!!! This place is homey and charming, but very no-frills. As other reviews say, the classic Korean 'sides' are self-serve (smart in my opinion, because it reduces food waste): some of the best kimchi I've ever had!! I had the soft tofu stew with veggies and my mom had pork bone stew. We ate the stews with the purple rice and were both extremely satisfied with our meals- to me, Korean stew is very comforting. and the homey feel of this restaurant only enhanced that effect for me. (Not to mention everything is $8.50!) Will be back with friends and family!! read more

At first glance, Joy Kitchen isn't much to look at. When you walk in, you will see a very plain dining area without much decoration. That's fine by me as the savings go back to the customer in the form of price! The second thing that you'll notice (if you're like me) is that you're probably going to be the only non-Asian customer. This is a good thing. It means you're in for something authentic! After looking at the menu, which is written on the wall, you'll also notice that everything on it is $8!!!! Score! My first time here, I was not brave enough to order anything other than what I knew, so I ordered the bulgogi. Now I may not have had a Korean grandmother, but I have been to all of the Korean BBQ restaurants in Carrolton and Irving, and this was the best I've had. Served on a sizzling platter, I often refer to these as Korean fajitas. So good! Since Joy won my trust after my first visit, I have since tried new dishes. My all time favorite is the chicken and potato stew, which is a special only served on Tuesdays. In the backleft corner, there is a delicious kimchi bar where you can help yourself to kimchi and rice. In addition to water, there is a very good rice drink, which cleans the palate and is quite refreshing. Overall, I don't know where else you can get a delicious, large portioned meal, with sides, and a drink for $8. Keep it up Joy, keep it up. I will be back. read more

Joy Kitchen - Chicken and potato stew! - Korean Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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If you're craving for some homemade Korean food, this is one place I would highly recommend. They have great dishes for reasonable prices. They also have daily a lunch special. I usually go with my coworkers so we would all order a few dishes and eat as family style. If you're planning to arrive during lunch, come early to get seats since it gets filled quickly. Before arriving, check their hours since they close early. The rice and other sides such as kimchi and cabbage are unlimited including the barley and rice drinks. The rice drink is a sweet refreshing drink that is also known for great hangover cures. The barley drink is not as sweet, but still refreshing. As for the main dishes, I usually get the chicken potato soup which is one of my favorite. The seafood tofu soup is pretty good. Another added dish I would recommend is the stir fry squid with rice cake added. If you're wanting a meat dish, I actually prefer their stir fry spicy pork. The beef isn't as great as you would think. What I like is that you can add anything to the stir fry dishes with an extra cost. Make sure to grab the Bilbao which is wrapped and displayed by the cashier. Overall, one visit isn't just enough. Just be prepared to smell like Asian food when you step out. Bon appetite! read more

Authentic Korean restaurant focused on what they do great, not on trying to offer every Korean dish known to man. This is a PLUS! I am turned off by places that offer a huge menu because they can't possibly master all those dishes let alone keep all the necessary ingredients on hand and fresh! However, Joy kitchen know what they do great and stick to it. They are system focused as you will tell from the signs around the restaurant. This makes it easy for first timers to figure out their system. Very helpful. Will return again! read more

I lived in Garland my whole life and never ever noticed this place... It's a hole in the wall with cheap good food. You order at the counter and then get your sides, your drink and a bowl of their purple rice. So even though they say it's unlimited... I felt like the owner was staring at me intensely every time I went back and you can only image how long the walk back to my table was... I've tried the pork bulgogi, beef bulgogi, and chicken bulgogi as well as some soups, their bibimbap and bibap. Food is good and I get it spicy so even better! It's a little oily so I can't be eating here everyday plus my fiancé and I usually share a plate when we go out and you can't do that here unless you pay a $5 fee since you get "unlimited" rice and sides. Overall, the food is good. Oh and their hours are a little off... Sometimes they're not open during their opening hours so I would call ahead. read more

If you're looking for an authentic Korean restaurant, this is your place! Whether your with friends or taking your order to-go, Joy Kitchen is there to serve you! SERVICE Everyone here is so sweet and they go out of their way to make you happy and give you a good experience. It almost feels like I'm eating at home. I love that "home-y" feeling to this place and love how everything is self serve (rice, drinks, etc) Once your order is ready, they will call your name to let you know. Sometimes they'll even bring the food out to the table. But seriously though, the people here go out of their way. FOOD It's authentic Korean food. What more can I say? It's delicious! I always order the bulgogi (grilled marinated beef) plate because it's my favorite Korean dish. I eat my bulgogi with the yummy purple sticky rice. I wasn't a big fan of the dumplings. So I highly suggest everyone to AVOID ordering the fried dumplings. Way too greasy. OVERALL Highly recommend this place. I've been here a few times and always end up coming back! Great service and cheap food. With only $8.50ish you'll have yourself an authentic Korean meal. read more

Joy Kitchen - Bulgogi dish (grilled marinated beef) - Korean Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Authentic Korean Restaurant. The food is pretty good. You order first and then sit yourself. They call you once your food is ready. The rice and vegetables are self serve. Decent place and moderately priced. No more than $10 dollars. Good option for a quick work lunch. Tip: Get the Spicy Pork and Squid. read more

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The food is okay not that amazing for the price. No service you have to self serve and self clean. No ambiance.

The octopus bimbop and the short rib stew soup were delicious but highly disappointed with the level of service and the rude staff. Definitely not coming here again..what a shame. read more

Not what I was expecting at all. It's a little hole in the wall restaurant and everything is self served. EVERYTHING. Menus are on each side of the wall, you order with the cashier, serve yourself rice, tea, kimchi and other pickled sides and sauces, grab your own utensils, and once the food is done, they call it out and you go up and bring it to your table yourself. Avoid dropping the sizzling hot bowls and plates on yourself, please. Once you're done eating, you have to clean up after yourself, too. They leave the black bins out so you dump everything in there, grab a Clorox wipe, and wipe your table down. I wouldn't mind doing all this if the food was good, but if I had to do all this and eat bland food, I would've just cooked at home. I got the beef tofu soup and my husband got the bibimbap. Both were incredibly bland. I've never had bland Korean food before. Even their kimchi was bland. What I really liked of theirs was the dark sauce with scallions and sesame seeds in it as well as their daikon. Those were both flavorful and seasoned well, so not everything was a miss. The owners and everybody working there were also extremely nice. read more

The food was INCREDIBLE!! It had the holy trinity: it was delicious, it left you full, and it didn't break the wallet. If I lived close, I'd be here once a week. read more

This is THE place to go for Korean in this area. But keeping that in mind, THIS PLACE IS ONLY OPEN ON WEEKDAYS. NO WEEKENDS. Even so, THE FOOD. Good, genuine, hits-all-the-right-places in your stomach grub. It's why food (besides music) is a universal language. Down home, good food. We often get the potatoes and chicken (which falls off the bone), the squid and pork stir fry (basically every time), and the bone stew (very light), among other things. There are daily specials which are listed out on one side of the wall, and the regular menu on the other side (to be honest, we've never gotten anything off the regular menu since the specials are $7.00 and pretty well-portioned.) Plus, they don't really bother with accurate tax calculation so the dish with tax included comes out to $7.50. Things on the regular menu aren't over $10 either, so it's all good. There's a kimchi side dish bar you can help yourself to, along with barley tea and a sweet rice drink for beverage. (I do some mixology and combine the two together so it's not too sweet.) The rice is self-served as well -- steaming purple rice (good for you!) that comes in a huge vat of steamer. The atmosphere is very simple, with chairs and tables that seem to have come from your own house. The joint is family owned, and the hostess-mama gives off a comfortable, kind air. Mostly fluent in Korean (so don't expect to strike up a conversation), but I have a feeling she remembers faces well. There's a TV constantly running Korean news/Korean drama/Korean reality show near the counter where you pick up your food/have your order taken. When business dies down, she usually stands at the front and watches. I always leave content and joyful. Joy Kitchen is the right monicker for this place, indeed. read more

They have awesome items, always polite as well. Love the atmosphere! I appreciate the kindness and good food always. Highly recommend!