This place is top notch. We did a hot pot which was excellent and we had a bbq combo and cooked it at the table. The girls each had a seafood combo which we cooked at the table as well. Everything was excellent!! Definitely returning here again!! Our waitress was spectacular. She was super nice and very attentive. They got really busy and we had a little bit of a wait one time but as busy as they were it was to be expected. It's not a surprise it was so busy this place is excellent!! read more

The food was really good, but the service was great. Anthony went out of his my to make sure my wife got exactly what she wanted. He didn't have to and my wife didn't ask him to. He just did it on his own. We appreciate good service, Anthony delivered. Highly recommend this place. read more

What a great meal for my husband's birthday! We each ordered a drink and chose Combo 1 for our meal I hope all the photos are a highlight to this review It was such a fun experience and we talked and laughed and got messy along the way. My only complaint is please please please give us real napkins. They also have a fun and adventuresome bathroom read more

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My guy and I were really excited to try this place after reading the reviews. It was a bit of a letdown by the end of the meal. We started with the Gogi Mandu, which were adorable, but insanely tiny. You can barely fit any filling into it with the size they make it, which is not accepted when they were essentially $1/each. The dipping sauce wasn't tasty either. My guy had the Bibimbap, which was average. They gave small amounts of the veggies and I didn't find it to have much flavor, but my guy enjoyed it. I got Japchae, which is one of my fave Korean dishes. My dish was actually room temp on the right half and piping hot with drier bulgogi on the left half. I ended up sending it back since it had clearly been sitting partially under a heat lamp for a while. They were very nice about the whole ordeal and the manager even came up to apologize, which wasn't necessary, but appreciated. My second Japchae definitely came out hot, but there was a big inconsistency between the amounts that came in the two dishes. The first had a lot more egg and bulgogi with a small amount of veggies. The second was the opposite for each. Pretty weird. I honestly really enjoyed the flavor of my dish and would get it again. They didn't overdue it with the sauce, which is always important for me. However, if this was a place I regularly frequented, I wouldn't be happy with how different the dishes can be. read more

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Food was amazing! Our waitress was very knowledgeable and friendly. Restaurant was well lit, and had a great atmosphere.

I've been here a few times, food is always great. I like to make sure I try something new every time. Highly recommend the green onion, pancake, bimbibamp, fried chicken. I don't recommend the dumplings, steamed or fried they are not that great. Gangnam Style drink is my favorite! Love this set up and vibe of the place, only reason rating for 4 stars is because the service was a bit slow. Other than that a go to spot in Rockford! read more

KBQ Loves Park - Gangnam Style - Barbeque Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

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This place is great! Loved the atmosphere here, we totally forgot we were in Rockford/Loves Park for an hour or two and it was really fun. They offer a lot of meal options, including cook-it-yourself-at-your-table Korean BBQ. It's unfortunately expensive but tasty and unlike any meal experience you've probably had. If you're not wanting to go that route, my wife and I got the bulgogi and it was phenomenal. The flavors were perfection and the portion size was good. Found out tonight they offer an all you can eat option for around $25 if you come Tuesday-Thursday. Not a bad deal at all. Servers were very friendly and attentive. Definitely want to come back soon! read more

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Was at long grove fest for Apple fest. Walked by and was offered a sample. Even though I just ate came back with my tickets and got a sample was excellent. They are very nice and hospitable delicious food seasined nicely can't wait to eat my dinner The bugoli short was was excellent and tried a Korean beverage!! read more

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I drove 5 hours to try some Korean food that I heard raving reviews about and as a Korean, it is worth it! A must try in Loves Park. Unique establishment that combines traditional and modern perspectives to its menu. The food is top quality and they have a bell that you ring to receive on demand service. The place is kind and clean and most of all, my kids gobbled up all the food instantly, Will definitely come back. read more

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I've always been a big fan of KBQ. I've gone there on several occasions, my favorite dish the army stew. We enjoyed it so much, we started to buy it off their lunch menu until one day it was no longer available. I'm not sure if they're under new owners, but tonight (Valentines Day), I had a disappointing experience. Their menu is much smaller (it also not including our favorite dish). I was disappointed because I had my heart set on it. We choose the only hot pot they offered. It was just okay- kinda tasted like a beef broth with a bunch of veggies in it. It was just okay, meaning I won't get it again. It was also kinda strange that the waiter offered for the staff to cook it for us in the back vs at the table. We asked if we could do the table, because thats all about the experience of KBQ. It is valentines and I came for an experience. I tried to shrug it off, along with the very disappointing meal. We were atleast happy that we had the chance of bingsu for dessert. Wrong again. The waiter informed us that we would need to take our dessert to go because they were "super busy". I've been here on Valentines in the past, NYE before, and never once have I been told this. Sure, they gave us $2 off the dessert- but honestly if I were to order more food or more drinks, I felt they would had accommodated us. My date and I were both disappointed at this point. When we got home (because what if we didn't live together...) the bingsu was a disaster, not from the drive but the cheesecake looked like it was just thrown in the container. I am super sad about my experience toni. I've never had felt this way with KBQ, that's why it's so upsetting. read more

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This is such a cute and fun KBQ spot. Loved the decor and bathroom! I wanted to order everything on the menu. We got the combo 2, fried chicken, seafood pancake, japchae, corn cheese and bingsu. Everything was delicious! Service was great. Fast & friendly. read more

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Amazing. First time and our waitress Bella was perfect ! Food was great, service was fast !

**EASILY THE BEST PLACE I'VE EATEN SINCE MOVING HERE 6mos AGO** I was half expecting a massive let down and half expecting amazing; I'm happy it was the latter! I came solo, and lucky for me, there's the perfect booth for us solo diners. I ordered Gogi Mandu (Highly recommend) and Jajangmyeon (Good, but not my preference). The kimchi and marinated potato was amazing, which means next time I'll order the Kimchi Mandu. I'll probably give the Ramyeon a chance next time. I spent some time in the military, okay, a lot... and I'll give this place a "legit" on authentication. The reusable plastic serving bottles for water clinched it. :) GAMSAHABNIDA! (Cam-saaam-eee-dah, means thank you. You're welcome. Also, two hands on the payment as you pay. Or at a minimum the non dominant hand you rest on your dominant wrist.) So excited to see some culture out here. I'll be back. read more

Not very spacious, it was 10 of us dining and we were very crammed in. Over priced, their banchan was not that great and also very small servings. When asked for more they seemed annoyed and told us it would be extra. The price we paid for limited meats, we could have gone to an AYCE kbbq with higher quality meat and unlimited banchan. And would have still had extra money to eat a second time. Our bill came out to $490, and we were still hungry! Very mediocre and overpriced! Would not recommend. read more

Super cute.. Great atmosphere. Pretty pricey for what is a hit or miss experience. A lot depends on the service. read more

I will wait to return again once they're less busy to try to get them to 5 stars, but I'm so psyched to see Korean food in Rockford. The vibe is hip and the decor is modern with manhwa slides on the walls. I'll keep it simple: The barbecue was fun! I would've liked refills of the banchan, especially the kimchi. The spicy meats were more sweet than anything else but we still enjoyed. The food came out amazingly fast which was nice. The soju options weren't large but had a lot of fun doing a soju bomb with my guy. They were absolutely packed, which I'm happy to see. We'll have to return for seafood pancakes, fried chicken, and sundubu-jjigae as those are my real favorites. Excited to return! read more

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Excellent food. Their meats are so tender and flavorful. Best time to go is for all you can eat. Service is outstanding. read more

KBQ Loves Park - Seafood. Delicious. - Barbeque Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

I've been here 4-5 times since last year and it's always great. The workers are attentive and the restaurant appeals to people who like traditional Korean and those who aren't very adventurous eating wise. Highly suggest coming. read more

The service was top tier! We made a reservation for 4:30 on a Saturday. They were quick to get us seated and our server Juan was super explanatory on the menu!(this was our first time at kbq) we got the combo 2 with the kbq rice. We also ordered the Korean cheese corn, and that was amazing by itself. The service was so fast! The restaurant itself is decorated so cool! We will definitely be back! read more

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OMG, this place was so delicious that we visited here 2x while we were visiting Rockford. The dishes were done to perfection and tried a little bit of everything. The first night was already heavenly with the glass noodles with beef and the seafood pancake. We also had the red bean bing dessert which was spot on. The next night we tried the kim chi fried rice and the kim chi tofu egg with noodles. This time, we had the fruit bing dessert with mango, strawberries, and kiwi. Again, no complaints and easy pickup too. Time was right on 25-30 minutes which was wonderful to plan after a day with our kid at the children's museum nearby. Interesting take-out packing with eco-friendly boxes and utensils. read more

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We visited recently for lunch and were blown away by the authentic Korean flavors. The best tteokbokki I've had since leaving Korea. Proper Korean kimbap! We return once a month, can't stay away any longer than that between visits. read more

LOVE their bingsoo, but their honeydew one has become one of my favorites. I will sometimes go there just to get their bingsoo. The kbbq experience there is also nice. They have nice quality meats and great service. The vibes inside are cool and funky, I enjoy it. It adds a modern twist to the kbbq experience. They now have AYCE on certain days which is a nice feature to have in town when it comes to kbbq. read more

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We found this place randomly when googling "food near me" after my husband and I spent an afternoon at the water park. We've both wanted to try Korean food for a long time so we were pretty excited. We decided to get the hot pot (H1), an order of tteokbokki, kimchi mandu, and the wang mandu. Our food also came with six traditional side: potato salad, spicy pickles, kimchi, zucchini, and pickled dicon radish. Every single thing we ate was 10/10. We didn't have a single thing we didn't like. The kimchi mandu and the tteokbokki were our favorites, but the pickles and the radish and the BROTH and the sauces....my god. Five stars. New favorite place to eat in the area. We're obsessed. Holy crap. read more

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KBQ is some of the best Korean bbq I've had!!! I'm still thinking about the steak!! The food was delicious (and a lot of it! We were stuffed when we left!) and the staff super helpful! read more

KBQ Loves Park - Barbeque Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

Second time here and it has not disappointed. The meat is soooo tender and fresh. Worth every penny. Particularly the galbi and samgyupsal and chadohl. We've tried so many of the dishes: egg soufflé, kimchee pajeon, corn cheese, volcano kimchee fried rice... all so delicious. The desserts are so generous and flavorful -- can't wait to go again! read more

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This place is fantastic! We were greeted by a friendly, smiling hostess. Great first impression. It was our first time there and or waitress, Macie was knowledgeable about the menu and explained items to us. You can cook your own items but we decided not to. Everything we ordered came out piping hot and plated so prettily! Incredibly delicious and flavorful. We'll be back to try more! read more

KBQ Loves Park - Fried chicken, soy glaze - Barbeque Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

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I had been wanting to dine here since I first heard of their opening months ago. I anxiously awaited the opening and had to endure friends canceling several times before finally getting to go. It was WELL worth the wait. I ordered a ridiculous amount of food. Food: My friends and I ordered the Kimchi mandu , spicy tteokbokki with ramen, sundubujjigae, half fried chicken, Kbq spicy combo #2. The kimchi mandu were delicious, very flavorful and moist. My favorite, the spicy tteokbokki was so spicy and delicious! I couldn't help but moan 'Mmm' in happiness with every bite. The KFC Korean fried chicken was good. I loved the texture/ consistency of the skin, so crunchy. I took the sundubujjigae to go and ate that the next day. It was the seafood version and so spicy and flavorful, I enjoyed every bite with a side of rice. YUM! Pricing: The portion sizes are a good size for apps and entrées. You are definitely getting your moneys worth. It doesn't break the bank in any aspect. Drinks: We also orders drinks, I ordered the 'Heart and Seoul as well as the 'Gangnam style' drink. They were both SO sweet and delicious!! I wanted to order more, but it was nearing the restaurants closing time. Interior: It was very clean and organized. The restaurant was completely aesthetically pleasing. So gorgeous from the outside, to when you walk in, to the bar area, the open kitchen to watch chefs cook/prep to the tables. I was in awe of the gorgeous art mural along the wall. Lots of K-pop posters and photos of artists like BTS, Red Velvet, IU and many more all over the restaurant as well. Everything was so pretty, very instagrammable/ TikTok-able. Verdict: The food and drinks were very memorable! The staff were very friendly and helpful. I look forward to going back again and enjoying other items on the menu that I didn't try this time. I highly recommend you go and try it--if you haven't yet, it's totally worth it! Make sure to make reservations if it's on a Friday or Saturday. Thank me later. read more

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The food & service is on point. It's a place that requires multiple visits. One of the few places, if not, the only place in Illinois that serves such authentic Korean food. It felt like I was back in South Korea again eating in Seoul. It was well worth the drive. It's a cheap trip compared to paying for a flight to the motherland. It was very clear the management here did their research on the most current restaurant trends in Seoul. If any place has noonchi, (Look it up if you're curious what that means.) KBQ has it in spades. Their fried chicken is a must! I fell in love with their thick crispy skin at first bite. Would love that crumbled up and mixed in some kimchi fried rice. Can't go wrong with that kinda crunch. Pair that with some beer and it's game over. I went on the rest of the night and woke up this morning still thinking about that thick crispy skin. If you get the jeon (pancakes), I recommend dipping it in the residue(sauce) from the fried chicken. The gochu tigim (fried stuffed peppers) is good with the sauce and adding some of the melted cheese they offer you for your grill. It's like a mini fondue cup. Now the set combo we got had a little bit of everything. It is like taking a tour of flavors of Seoul on a plate. The marbling was beautifully coupled with a nice thick cut. It was cool to have even the extra long scissors to cut up our food. The marinades were all flavorful. It's one of those marinades you'd love to mix in your bowl of rice. Also to take your experience to the next level, and yes it is possible, ask for at least a couple trays of their toasted rice wraps. It's like thinly sliced strips of rice cake (dduk) allowing you to enjoy some dduk ssam(rice cake wraps), which is another current trend in Korean BBQ. Even though it's already slightly toasted I recommend you grill it slightly on the grill before making your wraps. You're welcome! So many little details they took to into account. Finally, ending our meal with a small bowl of soondubu jjigae was a nice touch to help cut through some of the cheese and grease. It was nice to end on that note. My only regret is not having a big enough stomach to try more in that meal. Both the owners, our server, & the head of marketing were so welcoming. Thanks so much for taking such good care of us. I will be back again. It's just a matter of time KBQ gets on Michelin's radar. Cheers guys! read more

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It did not disappoint. Note- I have done a supplemental video tied to this review which is accessible on my Yelp profile. Pros: +This is definately one of the most unique dining options in the area. Food was fresh from, mushrooms, to greens, and even onions. All the meats were very flavorful and great aromas. +Service was really on top of their game. +Simply put, KBQ is just plain fun. I'm not great with the untensils but its still fun to use. +I'd take a date here in a heartbeat. Atmosphere is very modern, and has a good classy feel to it. Good bar area. A very neat and clean restaurant. Cons: -Speaking of dates, this is going to be an expensive one. We didn't even do drinks and this could easily cost over $50 a head. -I still couldn't understand why they brought out the side items so early. There was a good gap between when we were brought side items vs the main course -Some diners like me would probably require more of an explanation or an instruction manual in food prep. May not be for the kids if you're cooking your own. -Parking could be an issue with a few other popular spots in the same shopping center. Booking a reservation may also be required as evident through their website. Bottom Line: I would come back here any time if I'm in the mood the splurge. Officially I'd rate as a 4.5, but it earns the fifth star rounded up. This could very easily be one of the bigger hotspots in the Rockford area. read more

The food is delicious, the meats are such high quality. The servers are very kind and understanding. The ambiance is very chill, a little darker lighting but i didn't mind. read more

This place is fantastic!!! I'm not a big fan of pork, but they have this marinated pork that's to die for! The steak options are fantastic! All around wonderful experience! The food is ALL good quality, tasty, not too salty, and there's a great variety to choose from! The atmosphere is very pleasant and the service is awesome! I'm glad we FINALLY have a Korean BBQ place here! Kbq is my go-to place for when my wife and I have our date night's! I HIGHLY recommend trying it! FYI, it helps to have a reservation, but it's not always necessary. read more

This was my first Korean BBQ experience and overall really enjoyed the food. Did not grill at the table but ordered fried chicken and the special stone bowl entree both of which were unique and good. Next time we will grill. Service was attentive and it is a nice atmosphere. read more

3 of us showed up for dinner on a Tuesday at 4;50pm. All of the servers were pleasant and helpful. We were a bit excited about Korean BBQ and the drinks were good, green onion pancakes were crispy and super flavorful. The Kim Chi was plentiful and tasty. Lots of lovely fresh leaf lettuce and outstanding bulgogi on the q. Husband was pleased w/ beef, vegetables and glass noodles. A bowl of perfect rice topped the meal. All 3 of us enjoyed nearly all of that food! We'll be back! read more

Atmosphere was great. Food was pretty good (we had the Hot Pot). Our server....pretty bad. IMO she is really young (mentioned she was not 21 and couldn't advise on any drink choices). My gf and I indicated this was our first visit and were unsure of 'how things went' here. Very awkwardly she explained we could 'do it ourself or the kitchen could do it'. Do what?!? I'm ordering soup. After a very uncomfortable unclear explanation I opted to have the kitchen 'do it' because I was still unsure of what 'it' was! Hot Pot was good though and if I ever return I'll request a server with more experience. read more

1, You have to make a reservation because they are really busy! With reservation we still waited about 20-30 minutes 2, The fried chicken was really really good! 3, the BBQ also was good, my favorite meat was the pork belly, the beef is good too but I only like Bulgogi. 4, order lettuce and green pepper, cook the meat then put in the lettuce with some peppers and rice, on top put some red paste and kimchi! That was the the best! read more

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I've been looking to try KBQ for a while now, last night we were in loves park and decided to jump on the opportunity. I'm so glad we did. We did the Korean BBQ, and tried the combo number 2. It came with 5 different meats to try all of which were excellent. We added more more steak. The banchan (side dishes that came with the bbq) are all delicious, my favorites are the radish and the kimchi. A plus is that they are all refillable at no cost. We got the Kimchi and green onion Jeon too, Which is a crispy thin pancake filled with green onion and kimchi. Service was quick, and the waitress came back to check on us a few times. It's a beautiful restaurant, and the seating is comfortable. read more

The food was all good. I love the ribeye steak and corn cheese. The servers were on point and attentive. I love the painting on the wall. read more

KBQ Loves Park - Barbeque Near Me - Loves Park, Illinois

Decent service, and good food. 2nd visit - first time we did the "cook it yourself" with the tabletop grill; not a fan. This visit was more enjoyable letting them do the cooking. Everything was fresh and hot, and seasoned well. It was a bit noisy at times, but conversation is manageable. read more

It had been a while since I had Korean food, so when our son wanted to give it a try, we asked our friends, and they recommended KBQ. It's worth the hour long drive! We loved everything about the restaurant. The decor is modern, fun, and engaging. The food selection is great, and it has options for the whole family. We ordered a huge selection to give everything a fair try. The combo 1 had an excellent array of marinated meats that made the flavors really jump out. Having the food freshly cooked was an excellent fun activity. Our favorites were the pancakes, the bean sprouts, kimchi, cheese corn dish (it certainly has a better name but I don't recall) and the fried chicken (both green onion and spicy) was the star of the show. I've had a lot of fried chicken in my life, so the idea of having one that stands out was a long stretch, but this one was out of this world good. It managed to have juicy meat flavor (thanks to the marinade), crispy breading but not overwhelming, and great flavor. No deserts this time around, but we'll catch them on the next visit. Super duper recommendation for this place. read more

I'm not sure if KBQ has food. We made a reservation for a party of six several days in advance. We arrived five minutes early to learn our table was "not available yet." Fine. No problem. Ten minutes after our reservation time our party of six was offered a table for four. We declined and inquired how much longer the wait would be. "Well, they're still enjoying their meal..." We wait longer. Twenty five minutes after our reservation, with no updates, with no offer to get us beverages or anything else, we elected to leave. As we were leaving I told the hostess they could release our reservation as we were taking our money elsewhere. Her response was, "okay." This will not merit a second chance. read more