Fantastic BBQ -- and a great family-friendly hidden gem in Santa Ana…read more As someone who genuinely loves Texas-style BBQ and halal food, I've been meaning to try Gee's BBQ, and I'm really glad I finally did. This is the kind of BBQ spot I'm happy to seek out. We stopped by on a Sunday around 5:30 PM with the family after a trip to the Discovery Cube Science Center. Gee's wasn't particularly busy when we arrived, so we were able to order easily and grab a seat. Our food was prepared quickly, fresh, and with great service from start to finish. I went with the 2 Meat + 2 Sides platter, choosing the Picanha and beef back rib, with mac & cheese and smoked fried rice. The Picanha was the standout for me--beautifully grilled with that delicious char and a wonderfully beefy flavor, while still being tender and juicy. The beef back rib was also tender, smoky, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying. You can tell there's some real attention being paid to the meat here. Gee's describes the beef back ribs as being smoked for 8 hours and finished with their house glaze, while the Picanha is charcoal-grilled, and you can definitely taste that wood-fire/charcoal character. And don't sleep on the sides. The mac & cheese was rich, creamy and cheesy, and the smoked fried rice was a really fun departure from the usual BBQ sides--savory, smoky, and flavorful with egg, vegetables and their house sauce. The scratch-made sides are one of the things that seem to come up repeatedly in reviews of Gee's, and after trying these two, I understand why. Then there was the Gee's Pudding. This was excellent. It's a Brazilian-style vanilla custard topped with chocolate, Oreo crumble and vanilla wafers, and it was creamy, sweet and just plain delicious. The funniest part of the meal was probably my wife's reaction. She's not really a Southern BBQ person, so she actually got her meal from Papi's Tacos & Churros next door. But she tried some of my Picanha and the sides...and immediately admitted they were really good. And she absolutely loved the Gee's Pudding. So I'd say that's a pretty strong endorsement from someone who wasn't even coming there for BBQ! A few things that are useful to know before visiting--not negatives, just part of the experience: - Gee's shares the space/kitchen area with Papi Tacos, and the whole setup is connected to a gas station. Honestly, I think that's pretty convenient, especially for travelers, commuters, or families where everyone wants something different for dinner. - Parking immediately around the businesses and car wash is somewhat limited, but there's plenty of street parking nearby. - The seating is an outdoor, Southern backyard-style picnic setup. I actually think it adds to the character of the place, but on a hot summer day--or if flies are particularly active--it may not be everyone's ideal dining environment. None of that takes away from the food for me. In fact, I think the casual, no-frills setup fits the whole vibe. This isn't trying to be a polished white-tablecloth BBQ restaurant. It's about the pit, the smoke, the meat and the food. Gee's has also built quite a reputation for its smoked meats, with offerings ranging from 14-hour prime brisket and giant dino ribs to lamb barbacoa, sausage, tri-tip and Picanha. Their current menu emphasizes traditional smokehouse techniques, scratch-made sides and wood/charcoal cooking. Five stars from me. The meat was tender and delicious, the sides were memorable, the dessert was fantastic, and the service was great. As someone who is pretty particular about BBQ, I left very happy--and I'll absolutely be coming back the next time I'm in the area. Highly recommended, especially if you're looking for halal BBQ that does something a little different from the typical Southern BBQ lineup.

Not the best I've ever had, but pretty darn good…read more The Tri-Tip was perfectly done, excellent taste; good mac-n-cheese, and pretty good potato salad - The ribs were good but quite sparse as far as the amount of meat. It's an order window, so not much to say - The ordering was easy peasy, and they came out to deliver our food to the table... The outdoor seating was good, but it was hot and wish there was more breeze. I imagine, on the right day it feels awesome to eat outside.

5 stars all around for me! The seating area is so much more than I thought. Everything exceeded my…read moreexpectations, I was pleasantly surprised since I haven't had as good of bbq on the west coast. The cornbread was moist and paired well with their butter. The fusion flavors were great and everything was tender. Service was super nice and quick! Thank you.

I love bbq and I love Chinese food so was excited to try Smoke Queen fusion bbq. The restaurant is…read moreonly for ordering. The seating area is outside and set up with giant picnic tables so you feel like you're in a park at a bbq party. Luckily the entire area is shaded because it was 95 degrees that day! Restrooms are also outside. We ordered the 6 meats and 6 sides. We got the brisket, tri tip, the gochujang beef rib, pork char Siu, pork Siu yuk, and burnt ends. They were all tasty and tender but my absolute favorite was the Siu yuk. The meat was tender and juicy with the crispy rind combo was just fabulous. I also really liked the burnt ends and the beef rib. The beef rib is only on Sundays though. The sides were all good as well but I especially liked the spicy cucumbers and Mapo chili. The quantity you receive for the value is pretty good compared to other restaurants. I liked the food so much I ordered extra to take home. I will definitely be back but probably when the weather is a little cooler!

Haven't been here in a while and it still hits…read more I got here late (7pm they close 8pm) and they were sold out of most things but I got brisket and short rib with that colossal bone. After trying the neighboring new bbq spot I won't name.. this places brisket is so much better. I love it here, juicy and great flavor. Some fatty bits but that's where the flavor comes from. and this short rib was bomb! The edges were a bit dry but I'm coming at closing time so I get it. FYI short rib is by weight $40/lb so it was about $50 for it. The sides I got were their macaroni and cheese 10/10 tastes home made! Onion rings were ok. Coleslaw is alright. Good for fiber! lol. I do like their beans and the blueberry bread. I love their nachos but they ran out of nacho cheese. Sad! I gota come back!

Sometimes when I order the Pulled Pork sandwich it's on a brioche bun, sometimes it's on sliced…read moresandwich bread. This kind of sums up the level of excitement you get when you come here. This time they were out of beef and spare ribs, but they still had baby back. (We got the last full rack) Sides are $7. Mac n cheese, blueberry cornbread muffins and onion rings are some of our favorites. You get 2 sides with the full rack, no sides with sandwiches. Today they were also out of nacho cheese but I'm not sure what that goes on? There's a dry erase board when you come in that tells you what's sold out. It's fun to chat with the other guests about what they came for and what they settled for. We always get it To Go now although they do have tables available.

First, the meat was super juicy and DELICIOUS. Loved the drink "Duck around and Find out" (Which…read moreentertained the kids) and the drink tasted good. We got the the "All the smoke" family platter and it was perfect. MALIKA made our first time here great and we know we will definitely come back! RECCOMEND THIS PLACE!

Awesome good. Great variety and large portions... Our waitress Malika was great. We will be back…read moresoon

Amazing BBQ! Fall off the bone tender. The sauce is also really tasty. Lucky to live right across…read morefrom this place.

This was a nice surprise and what a good meal I had here. I happen to be attending the Lunar New…read moreYear event at shopping center and in the middle of it all, I of course became hungry. I took a little browse around and found SeoulSpot, and you know what...It definitely hit the spot. I ordered their Bulgogi Rice Bowl, which came with a delicious Bulgogi Beef, Picked Ginger, Edamame, Kale, Corn, and topped with green onions. With rice. Comes with a side of creamy sauce. It was a delicious meal. Only thing I wish though, was more sauce. I would've been okay if they pre-dressed the meal with the sauce also. Or, give us two sauces instead. Staff is friendly here. I only interacted with the lady at the counter. When my order wasn't up after awhile, I did ask her if there was an update with my order. She kindly just apologized for the delay and made my order. Customer service exists here, which is really awesome. I would definitely come back next time!

Food: 5/5 service: 5/5…read moreWait time: 5/5 Accommodations: 5/5 Decor: 5/5 The food was really good! The worker allowed us to substitute spicy pork for the bulgogi for the fries! I was very appreciative of that. The food came out incredibly quickly and was very affordable! They provided us with 2 really tasty side of the sauce. I accidentally dropped on, but they were very nice about cleaning it up and telling me not to worry about it. They were very nice and funny. It made it feel like a fun place and very welcoming to come back. The place has very simple decorations. This would be a great place to get a bite with friends as there were a lot of seats and tables!

Delicious smoked bbq! Service was great, and her…read morerecommendation for drinks was also great! Awesome place to bring family and friends together. Would recommend this establishment

Honestly shocked at the 4.1 rating. I'd eaten at their Irvine location and it was decent enough to…read moreeat here again when kings told me it was a 45 minute wait. This time wasn't even decent. Food was at best mediocre. Almost $50 for a three meat plate- I love the additional cost for the burnt ends which were horrible, completely tough and dry as a bone. Sausage was average and the 4 tiny slices of brisket were good but half of it was fat. Sides were tiny considering price. Service was also mediocre, the place isn't at all Busy but drinks took forever and nothing else about it was memorable. Definitely my last stop at this chain.

Korean BBQ night = always a good idea…read more Big thank you to Mehmet for taking such great care of us! The service was amazing and made the whole experience even better. And if you come here, you HAVE to order the mint tea lemonade! Also, don't sleep on the sides. I'm always going back for seconds... or thirds of the macaroni salad and those kimchi cucumbers. So good! Great food, great service, and definitely a spot I'll be coming back to.

Very disappointing experience after being a loyal customer for years…read more This used to be one of my favorite places. I've been coming here for at least five years, which makes today's experience even more disappointing. I came in by myself and, unfortunately, my server Mia made me feel rushed and unwelcome. She closed out my check while I was STILL eating without asking whether I was finished or if I wanted anything else. When I told her I was still eating, instead of simply apologizing, she responded with a dismissive attitude: "Usually when people turn off the fire, they are done." That response was completely unnecessary. Turning off the fire does not mean a customer should automatically be rushed out or have their check closed without being asked--especially when they are clearly still sitting at the table eating. What bothered me most was not the mistake itself, but the lack of courtesy and professionalism afterward. A simple "I'm sorry, I misunderstood" would have completely changed the situation. I have supported this restaurant for years and have recommended it many times, including on my social media. It's incredibly disappointing to leave a place I once loved feeling this unwelcome simply because I came in alone. Customer service matters, and loyal customers should never be made to feel like they need to hurry up and leave. Sadly, after five years of coming here, this experience has completely changed the way I feel about this place.

When should I go back. Ever just have a craving and a place actually meets your craving…read moreexpectations??? Well. Hole smokes - you did it! That's a hard feat for me and my other half bc we are picky! But this was great, and we tried a bunch of stuff. So, the man- well he was thoroughly satisfied with his full on bbq platter of brisket and meat and the carne asada tacos the next day. lol. I tried a bite and the meat was so juicy and tender - extremely well cooked and seasoned and just Melt in your mouth - LIKE BUTTER!!! I, on the other hand, have been craving shrimp, don't know why, but they had it on the menu, so figured I'd try - and the smoked shrimp tacos- man OH man - so delishious! Yup! I spelled it wrong on purpose - de-lish. The fried shrimp tacos too and my other craving- Cole slaw. Yummie - I should have ordered more than I did because it was so refreshing and crisp and sweet and just perfect. Mac and cheese creaminess was adored by both of us, wanting more of that too! The only thing I didn't care for, which was slightly disappointing, was the cornbread. Quite dense for me. I couldn't enjoy it. So kind of a shame. And I got a Shirley temple to boot while we waited! Who doesn't love an old fashioned Shirley temple! We had decided to go in person to place our order bc we felt like it needed the 'in person attention', which was good bc the bartender takes the orders and there seems to be ' regulars' at the bar and the attention definitely goes more towards the bar then the phone- so I'm very glad we ordered in person or else it might have been messed up. Just being honest. Even were interrupted mid order by another 'patron' to the staff about plans or something. So that was kind of annoying as we had to repeat that item 3 times to get it correctly ordered. But overall. We will definitely go back, try other menu items and have definitely recommended already. Happy to have found a good bbq spot semi-near where we currently live.

Not really a big fan of it but I was craving BBQ and stumbled upon this one…read more Food came out pretty quick which I suspect they only reheat them or something, the meat was super dry and hard to chew for some reason. I understand that I came after regular lunch hours, probably 2-3, but I was hoping they maintain their quality. The decoration is nice and there was not plenty of people dining when I came.

A few things I love about this place: 1. Ample parking…read more2. Self-serve marinated meats and select sides 3. Tender meats I don't have the patience to find parking or to wait around for service, so I loved being able to grab stuff myself (including rice). Staff was kind and food was great! Loved the short ribs, beef tongue, and marinated meats!

We were looking for an alternative Korean barbecue place to celebrate a birthday. We have our few…read moreusual spots that we go to in the Irvine area, but we wanted to venture out and try something different. Tustin is right next-door and so we took a chance. We came on a weeknight evening and we were the last to be seated for that shift. I think that's where it started off on the wrong foot. When we arrived, there were about three other parties there still eating and drinking. We were seated at a booth. The cushion was uncomfortable, and the tables felt sticky. And it was extremely hot inside. There was a large fan propped up on a counter or table against the wall. There was also another fan in the opposite direction on the floor. It did not feel like there was sufficient air-conditioning. We opted for the basic dinner menu. We ordered chicken Karaage for an appetizer. It was cold and hard and inedible. Seemed like it had been sitting out for the last hour. We got various marinated meats from the self-serve section. The disadvantage with that results in the grill burning easily and it wasn't easy to get a replacement. The one thing that we did like were the cucumbers side dish. Good thing we were able to refill the cucumbers on our own. I think the staff were just done and did not want to be bothered by us. I will say that that one gentleman was helpful for the most part and gentle. However, there was another lady who was ready to clock out I think. The meats were just alright. I don't recall it being that fantastic. Overall, the environment felt off. It was all dark inside, and there was no charm or decor that enhanced the dining experience. Yes, I understand this is Korean barbecue but it just didn't feel inviting. We left disappointed to say the least.