This place is incredible. The quality of the food is top notch, everything tasted amazing and the staff is super attentive and kind. We had Sarah help us both times we were here and she was amazing. Not a better place to try in Philly if you like KBBQ!!! read more

Adjusting my review for two reasons...initially i posted a three star review but after talking to a Korean friend and reviewing my check, i noticed a few things and I am offended. One...they charge different people different prices. My Korean friend paid significantly less for the same foods. We received a printed receipt when we went and he received a hand written one. Two...what was on that receipt. After looking back upon hearing what he paid, i noticed that the tax charged on my bill was about 16% and not 7. Not right at all. Three...considering the above two, and reading a lot of other reviews, i think that what i initially interpreted as homey and old school is actually cheap and under maintained. As the conditions there are like they have put no money into the restaurant despite clearly profiting handsomely. Empty fish tanks, old tables, failing ventilation, and dingy environment overall. So, watch out if you aren't Korean, and consider going elsewhere where you can have a cleaner experience and not be taken advantage of. ------------------------ So...finally tried Kim's. And i wasn't disappointed by the food or the service. Both were four star quality...authentic for sure. It was like stepping out of philly and into a Korea 30 years ago...which is kind of charming...and they even have soju beer and sake... So what's the rub???? the price and portions...two star at best...thus the deduction to three stars. Got japchae to start. Pretty yummy. Good flavor and nice texture to the noodles which were cooked pretty perfectly... Had the kimchi beef soup...also good. Then to the meats and bonchon at the heart of the meal...a nice variety of about 16 bonchon to compliment the meat and lettuce wraps...all fresh. Really good sides and sauces too. Got the sliced pork belly and the spicy galbi. Very fresh pork belly and perfectly spiced and marinated galbi. BUT.....here we go. A single plate of 12 thin slices of pork belly for 56.99!!!!!! AND.....A single plate of galbi for 67.99!!!!! I'd expect a never ending supply of both for those prices. Or at least a couple plates full of each! If I weren't in shock over the highway robbery that just took place, i might haven a four or even five star review. But this is just ridiculous! I must not have drank enough soju to lubricate my joy centers! So...in summation, good and authentic Korean, but bring your bank account and prepare to have it emptied for the experience! Note that if you do a little web search, as recently as 2015 the printed prices were half of what they are now...that's gouging to the max. Pleased...but disappointed! read more

I took a few friends here to have their first K-BBQ experience and it was solid overall! I went off of the recommendation of another Korean who lives in the area and they claimed it was the best ever. I'm hesitant to give it that title, but so far out of all the K-BBQ places I've been in the Philly area at least, it just might hold the crown for now. When compared to other K-BBQ places I've been to though overall, I would say it's mid-tier. Their menu selection is alright in terms of traditional Korean dishes, it has a good mix of bibimbaps, stews, and appetizers but I was actually very impressed by all the different BBQ options they had. It is a tiny bit on the pricey side, but I was really happy with just how much meat we got, so I think portion-wise it was worth the money. The marination on the meat was also great. We got the spicy pork bulgogi as well as the regular bulgogi, and they really set us up with tons of banchan and of course, traditional lettuce leaves with ssamjang. It was all very delicious. We also ordered a dolsot bibimbap, gochupajeon, geun mandu. It tasted really traditional and I was really satisfied that my friends got to try it in an authentic style. I wish I took more photos but we were too busy chatting and eating! I will say, love the charcoal grill but it is a little woof when they lifted it up and old raw meat was at the bottom. Obviously it doesn't touch your own food cooking at the top, etc. but it would've been nice to have someone come by and clean that up. Our meal also came with free ice cream which was super cute and a 'scoop yourself' kind of style at their big freezer near the back. When we came during the weeknight, it was absolutely dead and were were the only ones there for a good few hours - I don't think you need to make a reservation. I also love how intimate and cute the inside was, it felt like eating in someone's home. read more

Kim's Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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We had a great meal here and was very happy with our food and service. The egg custard was superb as was the Bulgogi and Galbi. Best of all was the service, friendly, helpful and very friendly. It's an older place with outdated colors but the food makes up for the ambiance read more

After reading all of the excellent reviews I was really excited to try Kim's BBQ. Unfortunately, I am very disappointed. Here are several reasons: 1. Environment: This place could definitely use some upgrading. It looks really old and their ventilation systems could be better. This wasn't a deal breaker for me. 2. MOUSE: The deal breaker was when we saw a MOUSE run across the room. We let our server know and they did nothing about it. They kind of just ignored the problem. Didn't even send anyone to apologize to us. Honestly, who knows what's going on in their kitchen and how they prepare the food. They need to be inspected. 2. Price : We ordered the BBQ chicken for two. As other people have mentioned the food is pricy and the amount of actual chicken you get with the meal is not worth the price you pay. The do bring out a ton of side dishes which are pretty good. However, you can get better and more affordable food from their competitors Gogi BBQ that is just a few blocks down. 3. Food: The food was average and did not surprise me at all. I'm not sure what the hype is all about. Overall, I am pretty disappointed in this place and will not be coming back. They definitely have a ton of room for improvement. I would probably start by calling an exterminator for the MOUSE!!! If you want to try Korean BBQ I WOULD NOT recommend Kims BBQ. Go down a few blocks to Gogi BBQ instead. They're much cleaner and more affordable. read more

Hands down the best authentic Korean BBQ place in town! The workers other than younger ones dont really speak English but if you want authentic korean food, this is the place to go. One order of beef BBQ is $28.99 plus the tax, but it is so worth the price. With ordering the bbq, they bring out about 20 side dishes and bowl of rice for you to enjoy. It is sort of like an appetizer and side dish for your meal. If you go early, the server literally stands by the table and cook your meat until you are done eating. They use actual fire, charcoal? So the place is a little smoky but I think it makes the dining experience even interesting. Go visit this place if you love Korean bbq! read more

Kim's Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This place was very homey and they have their own parking lot. I was excited to try this place as I was told that they had a great variety of side dishes and the food was great. They were right that they had a ton of side dishes which were delicious! But my friends were disappointed in the food. The Kalbi is not cheap whether you bbq yourself or it already comes cooked. The meat was so thin that it was more of a bugolgi than kalbi. The portions for the bbq yourself were also disappointing as you're paying a hefty price. However, I got the dolso bibimbap and enjoyed that. They also have free icecream which you can grab yourself. read more

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Just had dinner here tonight. Ordered the kalbi and dolsot bim bim bap. The kalbi order for 2 is cooked on hot wood coals. Our waiter was very attentive and actually cooked our entire meal for us at the table. The kalbi was good. It wasn't as sweet as I normally like it, but the wood coals gave the meat a nice smoky flavor. The dolsot bim bim bap (mixed rice with veggies in a hot pot) was very good. At the end of dinner, they let you scoop ice cream for your dessert. Although ownership has changed in the past 2 years, the food and the ban chan that was served was very good. BTW, when you read the prices for the meats, don't be shocked like my wife and I were. The price is for a serving for 2 people. read more

My family and I would come here regularly all the time when I was younger and we randomly stopped by on a weekday. The place hasn't changed much which isn't a bad thing. We got the regular galbi and the spicy galbi. The food overall was clean and good, but the gwen jang jigae was really delicious! It wasn't made out of beef stock and so it was very refreshing and just amazing. They also have self serve icecream which I enjoyed at the end. There wasn't anything bad to say about the food or the restaurant. All the staff were very friendly and attentive, which made our time there very pleasing. I had a very satisfying meal and service! And I'll definitely be back again. read more

Kim's Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

5 stars for the friendly staff and service. 1 Star for its price. 1 Star for its portion size. I had ordered a pork belly (currently priced at $47.99 for 2ppl) which came out to be way to thinly sliced. I couldn't taste any pork belly and did not fill me up. I had to fill myself up with all the side dishes and stew, which were decent, but I purposely went to the restaurant for meat, not all the side dishes. I thought I was paying $47.99 for the meat, but ended up paying $$$ for the rice, side dishes, and stew (and free scoop of ice cream after meal). This is the place if you want to try different (16 kinds) of side dishes and don't care for the bbq meat. read more

Kim's Restaurant - All the side dishes. I wish I had taken a pic of the thinly sliced pork belly. SO THIN. NO JOKE. - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

It was close by home so we wanted to give it a try. Friday evening and we were the first customers there I guess. Friendly staff, nice cozy place. Was craving bbq and soju and that's what we ordered. Had the beef and squid combo which was really pricey for the amount they give you for 2. Flavorful dipping sauce, I like some of the side dishes they offer but the kimchi was not tasty it had an almost spoil very sour taste and I've ate a lot of kimchi before and did not taste like this did. Overall, it was an ok experience. read more

Kim's Restaurant - Plenty of side dishes. - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Excellent service. Got the 4 meat combo and some dumplings. You will smell like smoke so be prepared. The young lady grilling our meat saw that I couldn't reach the kimchi on the other side of the grill and was like hand feeding me. I have never had anyone take such nice care of me at at a kbbq! read more

Food: the Korean bbq is one of the better options in the Philly area. We love to order galbi because galbi is the best Korean bbq in general. Service: it's not quite full service. You do have to grill it yourself. But considering it's the best option in the area, we're not going to complain or give it less stars. The servers are courteous and professional. However, we do choose to communicate with the staff fully in Korean which I'm sure significantly changes our experience. Ambiance: extremely casual. Do not wear any fancy clothes. The ambiance is very hole in the wall. It's clean, but still very much hole in the wall. Parking: there is a small parking lot that accommodates roughly 15 spots. Double parking is possible as long as the staff is notified. Good for groups? Yes. There's a room in the back that fits 30. The front room has 10 four tops that can be easily rearranged to accommodate larger parties as well as a back room that accommodates about 30 and a side room that accommodates an additional 20. read more

Hidden gem Korean bbq spot. I'm from south jersey but I'll drive here when I need to get my kalbi fix. They have such a big selection of side dishes which is great for me because I'm a bit picky when it comes to sides , I don't eat any spicy sides so that almost always eliminates more than half of them. Service is great , and they grill on charcoal so the meat comes out so tasty! A bit pricey but you get what you pay for! I wouldn't bother with the free ice cream. Doesn't look that sanitary considering it's help yourself. Who knows how many peoples hands have been in there. If you want ice cream go somewhere else, if you want the best Korean bbq in Philly come to Kim's! read more

Kim's Restaurant - So many delicious side dishes - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Food tastes good, service is not bad and decor is simple. It is nothing fancy. However, it is quite pricey for what they are offering. But I have found out that with most Korean Restaurants they are pricey in general. I came here twice with friends. The kalbi seemed overcooked when we had it. And when we cooked our own, it tasted better. I like that they give free ice cream after your meal. They are quite popular. Each time I came we had to wait for tables, because it was super crowded. Places like this, it is good to go with a group of people. read more

As a Korean, this place tastes like home. I looked everywhere in new york for this vibe and taste. I had to comw to Philly to find it and so glad i did. read more

They have not closed, although the menu is very different. Still the best Kalbi I've had anywhere.

This place could have a lot of potential, however, it just didn't WOW me. Prices were a bit on the higher side compared to it's competitors. I thought the plate of meat was going to be plentiful for the price, but it definitely was not. Also, I think they may need to update their venting system. It was beyond smoky in their and burned my eyes after some time. Beef marinated in mild sauce - ordered mild sauce for the babies. Flavorful, but the meat was cut wrong (with the grain instead of against), so it made eating it chewy. Jap Chae - this was mine and the kids favorite. It was extremely flavorful and the veggies didn't overpower the dish. Sides - plentiful. Loved the seaweed and my kids really enjoyed the fish cakes Soondubu - I liked the broth, but my wife wasn't too fond of it. I didn't like that they crack the egg for you as they didn't really mix it well. There were still big chunks of eggs left (yes, I know some like that, but that's why you let the customer do it) Ice Cream - scoop yourself and included in the meal. I didn't have any, but it was a hit with guests and my kids Overall: Pretty authentic, but unsure if I'll be back. I do prefer other spots more. read more

Great Korean bbq experience! I came here with a friend on a quiet weekday afternoon around 2pm, and we were seated almost immediately as there were only a few other people eating at that time. We were quickly brought complimentary tea and waters to drink while we looked over the menu. The menu was quite extensive, with lots of options we admittedly didn't quite understand. We ended up asking for the waiter's guidance as to what to order, and he suggested we get the pork to share. He told us ahead of time that it would be a lot of food for just two of us, but we honestly were not prepared as to how much it would be! It was definitely way too much food for two people. The meal came with about a dozen little bowls of side items, which made for a really fun and interactive eating experience. We loved being able to cook our own meat as well. The food tasted great, really flavorful and fresh. I would recommend coming with more than two people, because it was about $20/person and way too much food for us. They also have complimentary ice cream at the end of the meal! I will definitely be back to Kim's again - but next time, I will make a point to bring more friends! read more

Kim's Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Originally my friend and I had planned to go to tofuhouse but it was closed when we got there.. so we trekked down to kim's (by foot !).. we both had never been and we were so unfamiliar with the area that we got scared when night came :( but we were definitely glad when we found the restaurant.. finally. i ordered kimchi jeyuk bokkum which i accidentally mistook for my favorite kimchi bokkum bap, which i had wanted to order since i was not going to try korean bbq tonight and everything else was unfamilar but instead i had made a very good mistake :) my friend got dolsot bibimbap because she wasn't in the mood for soon dubu. the banchan were just so much ! i loved the fishcakes & the creamy broccoli/cauliflower, and she loved the squid with onions and she hates onions *gasp* at the end of our meal.. the waitress in broken engrish said something about ice cream and my friend just nodded along.. but afterward i remembered reading on yelp that you get free ice cream but i didn't dare try in fear of looking lost and stupid. but she did bring us 2 small glasses of a ginger tea ? and it was so good ! my friend didn't like it so much but i did maybe its because i love ginger.. yum. overall, the food was really good and cheap, and the service was great. $25 for a dinner for 2, i'm down anytime.. i just need a car now :X read more

Kim's Restaurant - kimchi jeyuk bokkum, dolsot bibimbap & lots of banchan - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

After asking many Koreans where to get the best BBQ, Kim's is what I was told was the best. The staff were all very nice, the service was a tad lacking but they were very busy, and the food and portion sizes were all great! Had an amazing time! One of the best parts is eating all the small Korean side dishes before the meal! The BBQ meats were all good portion sizes. One order of meat can feed 2 people. We sat in the front and people kept coming in the door so it was freezing almost the entire time. That was the only down side but I give this place 5 stars for authentic Korean BBQ! read more

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Kim's is a long-time favorite of mine and a stable in the Korean food community. This is an old style spot where you cook your own BBQ just like you like it. I went there recently with a friend named John who is Korean just to prove a theory. And I was right. If you are lucky enough to eat there with a Korean person you will get more side dishes and the best choice of cuisine than if you where non-korean. This doesn't bother me at all and I was glad John came along! We ordered a hot, steamy bowl of Yuk Gae Jung and a double order of Kalbi ribs. The server took our order and then set up the grill for us to cook the Kalbi ribs to our liking. While we were cooking and drinking Soju, a Korean adult beverage that was refreshing and potent, the server set out enough of the side bowls of rice, veggies and bits of seafood to feed a family. There was kimchee, rice, turnips,raddishes, small sardine fish and much more. Most of the dishes were unidentifiable to me, but I tried them all. We cooked and ate, cooked and ate and ate! We wrap some of the Kalbi ribs in a leafy greens and lettuce and added a sweet steak sauce and I even put kimchee inside the lettuce wrap. I love kimchee and could eat it with every meal. While I was grilling, the heat from the grill and the heat from the spicy food was making me sweat, but no problem here, the server came over and gently wiped my brow when necessary. The food and service were excellent, I was stuffed and satisfied and I can't wait to return to this fun, family oriented restaurant for more Korean love. read more

Wow! This is the best Korean restaurant that I have ever been to! This is a must. Highly commended. Superb service. It seemed like the servers couldn't do enough. Friendly and very accommodating. read more

Kim's Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Nice place. Small and potent which is how I like it. The server was awesome and I hope he make KATUSA. My only complaint is no OB or Cass beer. The bulgulgi was great. My brothers first time eating Korean food and he wants to come back today!!! Definitely give it a try!! read more

Kim's Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Friendly service; decent food. A nice out of the way joint, that serves fairly standard Korean food. I wouldn't make a special trip to visit, but if I was in the area, I wouldn't object to trying it again. (Although there's likely places I'd prefer to try for the first time.) read more

Great food! We had the Galbi and beef tongue and they were both amazing! Yummy side dishes and the steamed dumplings were also really good. Loved it. read more

If you want Korean BBQ, this is the place to go! First of all, this is the only place I've seen that uses natural charcoal while other places use gas or gas/charcoal hybrid. After trying many different places for Kalbi, this is the place I prefer and recommends to others. Service staffs are very friendly, side dishes are really good, and kalbi is best in town. This place also has two rooms for private groups and several tables for party of 6 or less. The staff told me that all the food is made in the premise and none is outsourced. Not even kimchi and of course 'no MSG.' The restaurant can get pretty busy during weekend dinner time. However, when it's not, staffs will grill the meat for you. SIMPLY THE BEST KOREAN BBQ PLACE IN PHILLY. If you haven't tried, give it a shot. You'll know what I'm talking about. PS. Ask the waiter to grill the rib inside and bring it out to you. It's the best part of kalbi. read more

Kim's Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2.5 stars. The waiters were friendly and accommodating but the food was overpriced and definitely not worth a trip back. We were not given rice to accompany the meal or the egg custard dish and portion sizes were extremely small for such an exorbitant price. You would do better to go somewhere else where you don't have to pay $50 for like 10 slices of pork and $25 for half an order of galbi. The banchan was delicious and you were given a lot but that doesn't make up for the expensive meal. It was nice to give it a try, to say the least! read more

I was looking for a good korean BBQ restaurant and got so angry because Philly proper doesn't have anything to really offer. In my fit of rage I googled Best Korean BBQ in Philly, all that popped up was Kim's BBQ in the north east. I convinced my friend (Who was equally craving Korean BBQ) to drive up to Kim's. Best food decision of 2013 thus far (the year is still young). First off, we got Bulgogi and Kalbi that was marinated in a wonderful sauce. The meat was grilled on the table utilizing charcoals! I'm used to the regular electric grill, but now after eating off the charcoals I don't think I can go back. Oh and it also helped that the meat was perfectly spiced and delicious! I really don't know how to express how happy I am to write this review so if it seems very broken I apologize, my grammar is negatively affected when I'm feeling super excited. read more

Far up north 5th street, far past Temple, past a handful of dicey neighborhoods are a few blocks of pure, unadulterated Koreatown. It seems that all the good Korean in this city must be reached via car or a very long subway ride. Last week, Mark S. organized a Korean BBQ dinner pilgrimage to Kim's Restaurant that was all I ever dreamed of and more. One of my favorite parts about Korean BBQ is the everything's meant to be shared style of eating that seems to be catching on everywhere these days. As soon as we walked in, I knew this place was gonna rule. We ordered two enourmous plates of meat to share: the Kalbil (short ribs) and the Doeji Bulkoki (pork in hot and spicy sauce) and two orders of Bipbimbap.The plentiful banchan (side dishes in the little white plates) overflowed onto our table immediately after ordering. There was a good mix of kimchi style veggies, veggies with a light marinade that had sesame oil, garlic, vinegar and chili, and a cooked fish pancake-like thing. It was the best banchan I've ever had, much better than any place I've tried in Philly. The seaweed was my favorite thing. Unlike any seaweed preparation I've had, a little vinegary, garlicy and sweet using seaweed of the perfect texture. We were digging into the banchan when a guy arrived at our table with a heavy iron grill top and hot charcols to fill the center of the table. No electric here people! You just can't get the same BBQ flavor. We salivated like a pack of hyenas stalking defenseless baby impala in anticipation of the arrival of the meats.The meat plates came with a joyous cheer from the table. Everyone looked like they were first in line at Walmart on Black Friday for the cheap 60 inch TV. We dug in, placing the meats carefully on the grill and adorning them with the extra garlic. I also think that half the fun of Korean BBQ is cooking the food yourself! The short rib was a religious experience, the most tender, fresh cuts of meat, perfectly marinaded to a beautiful sweet-savory equilibrium in a mixture definitely containing soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and garlic. The pork was equally delicious, having more of a spicy, savory marinade; it contrasted nicely with the short ribs that had a little sweetness to them. The meats came with generous helpings of rice, lettuce for wrapping and the ssamjang, a delicious dipping sauce made of fermented bean and chili paste, sesame oil, onion and garlic. All we could talk about was how delicious the food was while we ate. The bibimbap was also excellent but took second place to the meats. The bowl could have been hotter because no crispy rice was attained! But the veggies and meats inside were top notch. The simplicity of a Korean BBQ meal doesn't really need much more explanation than that. We couldn't say enough about how delicious Kim's was. It also has a really nice atmosphere for eating, talking and bullshittin' with a large group of friends. End the night with the FREE ice cream from the serve yourself ice cream bar! If you love Korean BBQ and you have a friend with a car you must find yourself Kim's in the very near future. I am already looking forward to my next meal here. PICS HERE: http://www.iloveporkbun.com/post/2375019072/kims-restaurant-a-korean-bbq-paradise read more

I would literally salivate from the parking lot... The scent of delicious barbecued meat can be picked up from half a block away. They claim to be one of very few Korean BBQ restaurants, if not only, to actually use a charcoal grill instead of a gas grill. There is definitely a difference in taste with the charcoal grill - its much smokier and livelier This place has excellent service! The servers are very friendly and attentive. The servers would even grill the meat for me.. maybe because I look like I'm about to burn myself :( But there are plentiful side dishes - the pickled cucumber and thin fish patties are among my favorites. For dessert, you are offered complimentary cinnamon tea and/or icecream. Word of advice - leave your jacket in the car if you don't want it to smell like food. read more

Kim's is an ordinary, full-of-smoke restaurant, yet one of the most authentic Korean BBQ places I've ever been to. Starting from eating Japanese BBQ (Yakiniku) back in the old days, I've transitioned to eating Korean BBQ because there isn't really a Japanese BBQ restaurant here in Philly. Starting with the banchans, the Korean-accented servers will bring out some rice and lettuce to go with your choice of meat. After the "real charcoal grill" comes out, you're ready to grill. Grill your meat, dip it in Gireumjang (The salt and sesame oil dip) when it's done, put it on the lettuce with rice and Kimchi, simply the best coordination. We usually end up paying $20~$30 per person for all the meat, and it's fairly reasonable since the quality of the meat were very good, and you're getting a "real charcoal grill" instead of a gas grill. One thing I didn't really like about the restaurant is that the server constantly grills for you. It's a good service but sometimes they kind of force you to eat... Recommendations: 1. All the banchan (Side dishes, plenty of them, and free refills) 2. Galbi (Marinated beef short ribs, awesome and the flavor is simply AWESOME) 3. Samgyeopsal (Fat pork belly, not marinated, grill it until crispy and it's super delicious) 4. Beef Tongue (Thin slices of beef tongue, has a chewy texture) Above-Pars: 1. Seafood Pancake (Tasted more like Chinese scallion pancake LOL) Sub-Pars: 1. Self-serve Ice Cream (Not bad, but simply cheap compared to the BBQ restaurants in Asia where you get Häagen-Dazs, Mövenpick, and Meiji for FREE as well. Amazing isn't it?) Kim's is all about authenticity, despite its inconvenient location at Olney, it's definitely worth the travelling! (BTW, it also has several free parking spots outside) read more

I came here for a friend's bday dinner, set up by his gf. We were a group of 13 people so they put us in the back room... And forgot about us. We had to go up there a few times to remind them that we were still waiting for them to take our orders. It's pretty gross in this back room, felt really dusty. We saw multiple bugs back here. Now if I were with just my bf, I would have left immediately. But I was with other people (and we decided not to leave ugh). We just made sure everything was well cooked on the coal grills. (And I'm still alive and not sick, so I'll give them that). The meats were okay, nothing spectacular. A lot of items were 'sold out' so that was annoying. The only thing I liked was the steamed egg custard. But I guess they do give you free ice cream... But yea, I definitely have no reason to come back here (parking lot is small too). Just stick with Mu-ta or Seorabol. read more

Kim's is good for Northeast Philly. Came for a friend's birthday with a group of 6. Two of them are frequenters of Kim's so we followed their lead. We got seafood pancake, soondubu, two orders of kalbi, cow tongue, and pork belly. I've had better seafood pancake and soondubu elsewhere, so my recommendation is stick with the BBQ meat! For 2 orders of kalbi, it ran about $56. It isn't the typical thick meat I was use to, but rather more like bulgogi thin slices (unless they got our order messed up, not sure). The flavor was good though. The pork belly was eh, I had better elsewhere. I do however highly recommend the cow tongue! It doesn't sound very good, but if you don't think about what you are eating, it is actually surprisingly VERY GOOD!! I don't think it is a very popular option, so if you are ever at Kim's.. order it!! They give you free ice cream which you scoop yourself. That was an interesting concept. Be prepared to smell like smoke because the second you walk in, you will get a whiff of it. They have a small parking lot, but more likely than not, it will be full, but there is plenty of nearby street parking. If you are in the mood for soondubu, go to the other tofu place nearby (forgot the name, sorry!) read more

I really wanted to like this place, but it is way too expensive (it ended up costing us about 40 dollars per person) for this neighborhood, and the quality of the food and the ambient could be improved. They need to upgrade their ventilation system and lower their prices. Service was adequate, though. They have potential. read more

This place might not have the coziest ambience. This place might not be in the hippest neighborhood. This place might not be what you want to smell like afterward. BUT. None of that matters because this is THE best Korean food in Philly. Skip any Center City joint immediately and most of the spots in North Philly. Kim's has an excellent authentic menu boasting huge portions of BBQ at a fantastic price. Definitely go with at least 4-6 other people, so you have enough folks to sample the menu. My family and I usually order two orders of bulgogi, jab chae, scallion pancakes (vegetarian), and spicy seafood soup. Wash it all down with a cold beer...and perhaps some free ice cream, too. read more

Pork belly and short ribs are to die for in this place. Service was done in a way to help us understand the dishes and how they compliment each other. Overall awesome experience and would recommend this place read more

Seriously the best food ever. I don't really know what to say except that I could eat here every day for the rest of my life because it is good and not that expensive and I love it so much. IT'S JUST THAT GOOD. read more

Here's my Korean joint in Philly. This place is legit for Korean BBQ (good for K-food newbies), but also carries other delicious and/or kimchi-heavy menu items for the homesick/more adventurous. Tons of ban chan come with the table, including egg jjim (boiled egg in a stone pot, nice and fluffy), and prices are REALLY reasonable. The galbi was sliced pretty thin, which I think makes it different from other Korean bbq places, and it was very flavorful. We also got the grilled bulgogi (amazing), a mandu guk (dumpling soup), and a kimchi ji gae (kimchi soup). I loved each and every thing that came from the kitchen. Kim's is great for groups, has fantastic service, and even takes reservations. Oh! They also give you free ice cream for dessert after the meal! An interesting tidbit--the owner said that the restaurant was featured on the Food Network. I've been looking for the article/blog entry/whatever to no avail; will update when I find it. Still, cool nonetheless. Ahhhh, it's so refreshing to go to a decent Korean restaurant in Philly after enduring mediocre and overpriced for so long. read more

They come out with new menu 'Raw Kalbi'(without sauce)!!!! I love it!You will feel the meat melt in your mouth! It just taste so good! Love all there dishes!! Kalbi is MUST try!! All the side dishes are soooooo good!!!!!!! Best Korean BBQ place in philly! read more

Kim's Restaurant - Raw Kalbi - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania