The service, ambience and food quality here are 5 stars. I spoke to one of the managers and a lot of the food here is sourced locally. We ordered everything from the japchae, beef brisket, beef bulgogi, pork belly, Kalbi ribs. All of the cuts were fresh and did not taste frozen. The corn cheese, kimchi soup and even the spicy mixed salad were delicious. They even feature an ice cream machine. The ambience here is very warm and inviting. We found some folks dining alone. The grills are electric and the ventilation is on point. Prices are reasonable and food here is top tier. I'll definitely be back to try some of their traditional dishes and higher ticket cuts. read more

See all

This place is definitely my go to for KBBQ in Tampa. There are a lot of places that do both AYCE KBBQ and Hot Pot, but to me, that means neither are truly standouts. This place is a Korean Restaurant with a focus on KBBQ, which makes a huge difference. The quality is so much better, the flavor is top notch, and the side dishes are solid. Service is great as well, with friendly people who keep the orders and reorders coming and the drink glasses full. So glad that the moved from Largo and reopened here! Keep up the awesome work :) read more

See all

Very friendly staff, best wings I've ever had, great prices on beer. Hidden gem, will be back.

Absolutely amazing AYCE Korean bbq. I've been wanting to come back and try the AYCE Korean bbq. I knew to make it worthwhile we'd have to bring our husbands so we could try a lot of different meats. It is definitely worth coming with a larger group to be able to try a bunch. There was six of us total. They bring a bunch of banchan, plus cheese corn (which was a table favorite) and steamed egg (which I loved). All the meat was amazing. My favorites were the brisket and bone in short ribs. The table loved the bulgogi (which was also my husband's favorite.) But honestly all the meat was great so you can't go wrong. We also got to try a variety of soju and Korean beer which everyone loved. I've only visited Seoul twice, which isn't a ton, but I did feel like this experience mirrored restaurants I visited there. On a Tuesday night it was busy but not packed. The perfect amount of people for it to seem bustling but not overcrowded. The parking lot is huge so you won't have any issues with parking. This place is family owned and operated by a local family so it is definitely worth checking out. You won't be disappointed. read more

Matjoa Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Odessa, Florida

See all

The dining experience yesterday was awful. We ordered 3 dishes - beef bulogi, short ribs and beef hotpot of rice and veggies. Everything ordered was specifically repeated 6 times no spicy, no red chili sauce, onions or jalapeños. All dishes and sides no spicy. Ajumma 1 said okay okay. The 3 out of the 4 sides she brings is smothered in the red spicy sauce. We ask for more of the non spicy side, she said that's all they have. The food is not cheap ($18 - 40 per plate) but the side given was miniature in size comparable to the diameter of a 25¢ quarter :((( She rolls her eyes and walks back to the ajummas gossip circle in the back of the restaurant. She was one of the 3 gossiping and watching cooking TV on the screens above the bar. The beef hotpot comes smothered in red spicy chili and is not edible. We work on the other dishes as we wait for someone to come. No one comes so we call over the non Korean waiter. He apologized and will bring a replacement. When the replacement hotpot comes, we are done and ask for to go boxes. Ajumma 2 brings 1 box and gets upset when I ask for a second box. I point to the hotpot that just came. She rolls her eyes and grunts. She slams the box on the table and huffs away. The food was just okay, the prices are high for what was served and the sad limited service from the old miserable Korean ajummas was unacceptable. We left a decent tip for the non Korean waiter. read more

The food is great but the system Ayce is not as good if you want to try all meats. They ask you to choose 3 first and then bring you way too much of those with little room for anything else. The service staff I should say is efficient and helpful. We must understand is not fine dining and for what it is, it's good. read more

I went to their soft opening a couple of weeks ago. The staff was friendly and the restaurabt was clean. Hubby and I were seated right away without reservationsm The service was a little slow, but I think it was due to newly opening and perhaps training new servers. We weren't in a rush anyway so it wasn't a big deal. We ordered: * Seafood Pancake * Japchae * L.A. Beef Short Ribs Of course, it came with 2 bowls of white rice and several typical Korean side dishes, which they did not refill. I'm used to the side dishes having more options AND refills, but I'm also comparing this to NJ and NYC Korean restaurants (where I grew up and spent 30+ years of my life). I have to say, the appetizer and 2 entrees were very large portions. We only ate half of these dishes and we had plenty of leftovers. It's always nice to have leftovers for work the next day! The flavor was also fantastic. I definitely recommend this Korean restaurant. I look forward to going again. I should mention that we ordered already prepared dishes. We weren't in the mood to cook over the grill, we just wanted to eat. So maybe I'll update my review when we decide to dine in a group. read more

See all

Hands down BEST Korean cuisine around. I'm in love!!! Now in Tampa, just off of Gunn Hwy in the Ace Hardware plaza. This place is awesome, both food and service. Staff is attentive and I love the grill carts that's used for frying up your bbq. Hubs and I came in, having never tried the Clearwater location and have made this our top place for Korean food. I ordered the bulgogi beef and hubs got the jj jang myeon and some veggie mandu. Food didn't take long to come out and it was fresh and so flavorful. The bulgogi was the best I've had. They have plenty of seating, along with a bar and a room that could be used for hosting larger gatherings. We will definitely be back. Actually writing this review is making me hungry so we're going to go now lol. read more

See all

One of the best AYCE menus in Tampa. Love the endless banchan, corn cheese, and steamed egg. I used to go to their old location in Clearwater whenever there was a special event and they always provided great service! read more

Matjoa Korean BBQ - AYCE - Korean Near Me - Odessa, Florida

I've officially found my favorite Korean restaurant in Tampa ! and even better, it's right near me in the Citrus Park area! We ordered Galbi, bulgogi, stone pot, mandu, Galbi tang, japchae, cheese corn, and teriyaki chicken . every single dish was well seasoned and cooked. The restaurant stays busy (they recently moved from Clearwater and brought a loyal following), but we only waited about 10 minutes on a Saturday night. Service was experienced, fast, and genuinely friendly with drink refills without us asking. We loved it so much, we ordered takeout the very next evening for a family get together , and it was just as amazing. Definitely our new go-to Korean spot! Minus a star: my brother forgot his credit card there after paying for dinner on Sunday evening. By the time we were able to return on Monday afternoon to retrieve it, a $400 charge had already been made to his card. This is unacceptable. The restaurant should have better safeguards and accountability in place for holding customer payment cards, it's concerning that it wasn't secured properly. read more

See all

My husband and I just finished watching Culinary Class Wars on Netflix. Now we wanted to try Korean food! I went to Yelp and found this new spot within 10 miles of our house. They have only been open a few weeks. We were there at about 5:15 and promptly seated. By 5:55....the place was packed! Service was more attentive prior to the rush. It just required a hand raise and they did come over to provide refills on our sauce and water. We had the combo for two and it was plenty of food. Because there were so many people when we left...we did smell like chefs as everyone was cooking their meats tableside. We were able to cook the meat at our pace which we enjoyed. The restaurant and bathrooms were clean and staff was friendly. We will be back. In our combo we had the following meats: Brisket Pork Belly Shrimp Beef bulgogi Spicey chicken read more

See all

I'm so happy this place opened very close to my home! Finally - a tasty authentic Korean restaurant here! I only got takeout so I can't say what the Korean bbq meats were like but for the kimchi soup and the japchae, it was so so good!!! The kimchi soup was spicy and hearty. There were tofu, rice cakes, mushrooms and of course kimchi. For $17, yes it is pricy but it comes with the small sides of seaweed salad, more kimchi, rice, fish tofu. The japchae noodles were also very tasty and full of flavor. The shaved beef was tender and veggies were great. I wish the portion was bigger but I'll gladly pay for good food over cheaper mediocre dishes. The kitchen was a bit slow for takeout. They told me 15-20 minutes on the phone and it turned out to be 40-45 minutes instead so I was waiting around for them to finish. I almost took a star off for this but I decided to keep it 5 stars because of the food and the friendly staff. Highly recommend a visit to this new restaurant! read more

See all

Overall, the experience was great. This was their soft opening week and we dined at 6pm on a Saturday, so the place was packed as expected. We had the pleasure of previously dining at their old Clearwater location. Their new location has nice and open layout and no elevation changes(steps) for the patrons to stumble on! A definite plus. Also, acoustics were good in here. If you have any hard of hearing friends, this is a good restaurant bc there wasn't too much echoing or background noise, even with a full house! Plenty of free parking is available, especially in the evening as all of the other businesses in the plaza are closed. We were greeted promptly and seated. We selected the ayce A package and it came with everything we wanted (side dishes, miso soup, rice, lettuce, corn cheese, steamed egg, samjang, sesame oil, onions, garlic, and jalapeños. Perfect! Our meat choices came out promptly, and the portion size was generous! Our reorder also was generously sized. Two thumbs up. In addition to the ayce, there were many other options for ordering. I forgot to take a photo of the menu. Sorry! This is a good option for Korean BBQ! read more

See all

We had gone to their former location in Clearwater and weren't impressed at all. We decided to try this new location, and they have genuinely turned things around. Super friendly service, good food and terrible k-pop music (j/k). We were impressed and quite happy that we discovered a new legit Korean restaurant in the Tampa area. We will return. read more

See all

10 out of 5 stars... Not only is the quality of their cuisine top of the line, but the fantastic people that work here brought me back a day after my first visit. It's the kind of place you think about going back to and are eager to go back to... I love this place and also how cozy it is. The first day I was recommended the Jjamppong and it was everything I needed and more. The next day I needed to try the AYCE and the spread, the preparation and care is just something you only find with very few places. Can't recommend Matjoa enough, so much so that I might go back again a week later haha! Thank you to all 3 of my wonderful servers! See you again soon. read more

Matjoa Korean BBQ - Jjamppong - Korean Near Me - Odessa, Florida

See all

I've eaten Korean barbecue in Seoul, LA, and New York. Matjoa in Odessa just casually walked up and took the crown without breaking a sweat. From the second you walk in, you know you're somewhere special: sleek modern room, perfect ventilation (your clothes will NOT smell like smoke when you leave), and 20+ glowing tabletop grills ready for battle. Then the banchan parade begins; easily 15+ little dishes hit the table, every single one house-made and refillable. The potato salad is creamy crack, the kimchi is perfectly funky-spicy, the fish cakes and cucumber salad are ice-cold and addictive, and the seaweed salad alone is worth the drive from anywhere in Florida. Meat quality is straight-up stupid. The prime galbi (short rib) is thick-cut, gorgeously marbled, and melts the moment it touches the grill. The chadol (brisket) gets those lacy, crispy edges in seconds. But the real MVP is the A5 Wagyu rib cap; they bring it out like jewelry, sear it for literally 10 seconds per side, and it dissolves into beef butter on your tongue. Even the pork jowl and spicy pork bulgogi are flawless. The combo deals are insanely generous (we did the "Matjoa Special for 4" and left destroyed in the best way), and the prices somehow feel 20% cheaper than every other KBBQ spot in the state. Service is lightning-fast, super friendly grill attendants who cook for you if you want (or happily let you be the pitmaster), and they keep the soju and Hite flowing like it's their job to make you happy (because it is). Extras like the cheese corn, steamed egg, and soybean-paste stew are all perfect. The lettuce wraps, ssamjang, and garlic slices never run out. Matjoa isn't just the best Korean barbecue in Tampa Bay; it's a destination restaurant, period. I'm already planning my next trip from Orlando because nothing else will ever compare. If you love KBBQ even a little, cancel your weekend plans and get here. Five stars is an insult. This place is pure fire (literally and figuratively). read more

Matjoa Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Odessa, Florida

It's a great find for an authentic Korean restaurant in Tampa. It's still their 2nd week of soft opening, but the foods and services are great! Added to our list to Korean restaurants and we are looking forward to our next visit. Hope the liquor license will be there by then. read more

See all

Huge spot. Great food and will be back with friends for grilling! We ordered all cooked items as we were with the kids and didn't want to get them burnt. We had japchae and kalbi both fabulous picks! read more

10/10 for authentic Korean bbq. Highly recommend for anyone looking for great food and even better service! If I could give more stars, I would read more

Matjoa Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Odessa, Florida

I really wanted to love this spot as the reviews were so high. There was nothing about my experience that was bad, but it definitely didn't live up to the hype for me personally. The banchan were all very tasty and very authentic to taste. The radish tased a little out of season, but can easily look past this. Ordered the steamed egg, buddaejjiggae and bibim nyeongman. I thought the steamed egg tasted fantastic. The noodles were fine in my opinion, although my mother didn't love them. The buddaejjigae I've been eyeing for a while considering it's typically a dish served for two or more and individual servings are hard to find at Korean spots in the US. But the dish was too sweet... the addition of carrots and red bell pepper definitely overpowered a dish that's typically spicy and savory with an unwanted sweetness. For the price point I was hoping for some more spam, and the fact it was cut in to strips that were nearly razor thin was disappointing. Overall it was a fine meal and I would definitely go back and eat here again. But I would try some different dishes. It's in a great location with plenty of parking and the ambiance is nice. They just relocated from Clearwater to their new home and I wish them all the best success. read more

See all

I don't ever write reviews, but this AYCE kbbq is the real deal. The cuts of meats are high quality and the banchan is one of the best I've ever had. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed Matjoa! Tried a mix of things during a friend's birthday party and had the best time at the karaoke machine too. The owners are lovely and food was delicious. We will definitely make this a regular haunt. read more

Matjoa Korean BBQ - A bit of everything - dumpling, spicy pork bulgogi, beef bulgogi, glass noodles, veggies - Korean Near Me - Odessa, Florida

Food was delicious, but service could be better. Our server was not that all attentive to our table, it probably would've been better to have the button like at every other kbbq restaurant whenever that you need service. read more

This is my favorite restaurant because the food is absolutely amazing every single time we visit. The flavors are consistent and never disappoint. We especially appreciate the warm service we always get from the lady who I believe is the owner--she truly makes the experience special. That said, the service overall can be hit or miss. At the previous location, the servers were always great, but at the new spot, it often takes a while just to be greeted. The two newer younger male servers in particular don't give the best service compared to what we've experienced before. Still, the incredible food keeps us coming back, and when the service matches the quality of the food, it's unbeatable. read more

Absolutely worth a visit. The food was delicious, the portions large, and the prices fair. We had plenty to take home.

Wide variety of different meats, sides. All you can eat option with 2 hr limit. Combo for two offers a lot of food and good quality. We arrived early and by the end of our meal the restaurant was packed, great to see so many families enjoying the food. read more

Matjoa Korean BBQ - Solid spread of sides, sauces and soup. - Korean Near Me - Odessa, Florida

So happy to have Matjoia so much closer to our home! Food was (and is always) absolutely delicious and the waiter was attentive, friendly and very organized. Also, he has an incredible speaking voice and should be doing commercials! I had gone to Matjoia before it moved, loved it and couldn't wait to bring others to try. I was so happy that everyone said it was delicious and devoured everything on their plates. read more

Very good service. I loved the food, appetizers were awesome. Very filling. Option B is the way to go

Excellent service, food & very fairly priced! We will be back! Fast service, flavorful & very clean. The staff is very attentive & there's plenty of options available. read more

Food was amazing. The ambiance was different than we are used to however the food and portions were amazing. Service was attentive and pleasant. We will be back read more

My family's hands-down favorite Korean bbq restaurant! The food, service, and ambiance are consistently excellent and we look forward to dining here often. We were long-time patrons of the other location and now thrilled to have Matjoa even closer in Citrus Park. read more

Came in for ayce bbq and got option B. Meats came out quickly and all banchan was fresh and delicious! Server was very kind and attentive!

Overall, the staff was polite and welcoming. However, the women that sat us was extremely rude, and was openly mocking us.

Love this place! The food is delicious! Everyone is attentive, courteous, and personable. Hands down our favorite restaurant. Highly recommended. read more

I was craving some good Korean bbq, came across this place and what thy offered look appetizing. Me and my girlfriend both got the AYCE premium selection, it was nice starting off with 3 meats which were very good, the brisket was good, the ribeye was aswell. The staff was very friendly and helpful as they went out their way to help prepare and cook on the grill which I liked and were very friendly. The lady waitress showed us some good combos and appreciate a server that is educational but also fun, was pretty calm for a Tuesday night with several patrons read more

Matjoa Korean BBQ - Assortment - Korean Near Me - Odessa, Florida

I'm so happy to have some more food options around the Odessa area. Matjoa did not disappoint. The flavors are on point! Great location, great food and great service! read more

This food is so good!!! I stopped dor the lunch special wow! And the staff is so nice too

4 stars only cause business was getting the kinks out. Food was fresh and spicy and kimchi also yummy. You can cook on grill at some tables. Service was good but it was end of lunch time so a little awkward. Ambience is there and will get better. read more

The food and service was fantastic. A gem that was added to Odessa. Clearwater's loss our gain!

Ambiance was ok. The food however was not. The miso soup had little flavor. I couldn't eat it, it terrible. The ice tea and water tasted like dirty water. They definitely need to invest in a filter. I live nearby and my water does not taste like that. I also ordered a sweet and sour chicken. It was ok. The rice was ok. Just nothing spectacular. I was disappointed. The price was definitely not on point for the quality. If you plan to charge that, you better make sure your food is on point. We need a good restaurant nearby. I had high hopes for this place. Hopefully they get it up to par. Otherwise it's a no for me. Im not a picky person. Im the type that will eat anything. So if it's a no for me then... its not good. read more