Contrary to popular belief, the food here is truly epic. While visiting family in the area, I was asked to check out this holes-in-the-wall Korean restaurant to see whether it would appeal to non-Korean diners seeking authentic Korean cuisine. From the moment I looked at the menu, my instincts told me this place would outshine many of the nearby Korean restaurants and I was right! The first bite of the fresh and flavorful banchan (side dishes) immediately proved it. This small family-owned restaurant delivers genuine hospitality and warm service, if not efficient. We tried the seafood pancake, marinated kalbi(beef), tofu/seafood spicy stew, dolsot bibimbap w/chicken(mixed rice with vegetables in a clay pot), grilled mackerel, and pork bossam( lettuce wrap with braised pig's feet). Everything was absolutely delicious except for the bossam, which was a bit too fatty for our taste. Still, my family of five thoroughly enjoyed the experience of dining at this authentic Korean spot. It's a wonderful place for family gatherings, dinner with friends, or even dining solo. They do not have a liquor license, and while walk-ins are welcome, reservations are recommended for larger parties. Definitely worth a visit! read more

This Korean restaurant is located near Carnegie Melon University. We were greeted immediately upon entering and had no troubles getting a table. The server was really kind and checked up on us multiple times throughout the night. We ordered so many things from the menu and the portion sizes were generous to say the least. My favorite was the Japchae glass noodles. I've been to restaurants in the past where the noodles end up being too sticky but these had the perfect consistency and delicious sesame flavor. I will note that it was a little warm in the restaurant so in the summer combined spiciness would be an experience, but the food was worth it in my opinion. read more

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That middle aged woman who I assume is the owner is so incredibly rude and vicious. I was there close to their closing time and there were still lots of customers in the store. When I wasn't even done the food this woman just tossed the check to my table, without saying a word. Mind you, up until then she never checked up on my table or paid any attention. I thought rushing me to pay before I was done was a bit odd so of course I didn't give the best tip. She looked at the amount of tip I left (in cash), and proceeded to throw the cash at me screaming "I don't need this." I have never seen anyone this moody running a business. It is really puzzling how it's still up and running. read more

We stopped by on Friday night around 5:30pm and got a table right away. It's definitely no frills on the inside which suits me just fine. There's not a huge number of tables and I would say it's not great for big groups and I wouldn't bring more than a group of four total people ton dine. The food came out really quickly. I liked the rice cakes and dumplings. My friend and I thought our soils were just fine. The Galbi tasted good but it was also $33.99 which is definitely overpriced. They brought out one check for the table which wasn't a problem for us. They also were on a hurry to clean up after us towards the end and started grabbing things off the table when we were barely done eating and threw away my rice before I could ask for it in a takeout container. read more

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This is a wonderful, quaint, family owned restaurant. I really enjoyed their kimchi. I've had kimchi in a lot of Korean restaurants and Nak Won has by far the best I've tasted. We came on a 95 degree day and the naengmyun and bo ssam really hit the spot. I love how there are traditional dishes like mackerel and yellow croaker on the menu. Our food order came very quickly and the owner auntie was very sweet. This is where you come for a nice family meal. It does not feel like "restaurant food." We will definitely come back an again! read more

Nak Won Garden - Mul naengmyun - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Hidden gem in Oakland! My girlfriend and I shared the pork belly KBBQ plate and steamed dumpling appetizer. The menu does not specify this, but the KBBQ plate included rice and our meal came with a wide variety of banchan including kimchi, eggplant, bean sprouts, and spicy pickles. This made an app and one entree more than shareable. The staff was friendly and helpful with the menu. Ambiance is casual and homey. Not the most economy-friendly menu but the food is worth the price for a treat. read more

The absolute best japchae I have ever had, and I spent lots of time in nyc and Queens korea towns. The Haemul Sundubu Jjigae is also exactly what you need on a cold winter night. This restaurant is like your friends stern korean mom/grandma invites you over for dinner -- no nonsense, some variations on standards that feel like family recipe variations. We probably go once a week. Also byob, so grab some soju and go to town. My only caveat is don't ask the young servers for food advice -- they seem to recommend blander items to baegin (whitey). Oh the korean style chicken wings are also amazing! read more

The Korean food served and service from the two young men were actually good but that is not why I am giving this restaurant one star. The middle-aged Korean lady whom I assume was the owner or manager rushed us out sooner than I preferred possibly because they were closing soon. There were still a few customers in the restaurant and they didn't close for another half hour. I felt this was rude but didn't say anything so I just left. Proper service is to wait for the customer to leave before taking their water, plates, and not wait at the table while the customer is still placing their leftover food in the to-go container. Please be aware there was a 3% surcharge for using my credit card which I was not aware of. read more

Great local spot. Enjoyed the dumplings, japchae, and soft tofu stew with mushrooms. BYOB is a plus!

Probably the best, most authentic Korean food in Pittsburgh. The food came out super quick and it was all delicious. It's a small, cozy restaurant that was packed on a Friday night so get there early. read more

Nak Won Garden - Ddukbokki - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

this little hole in the wall was delightful. my dad and i had never had korean before, & our waiter convinced us to try the squid and pork stir fry with white rice. it came out sizzling and was delicious, though a little too spicy for me personally (my dad loved it). read more

Wonderful time having lunch at Nakwon. Hot soup is perfect for these cold days! Since it was lunch time the restaurant was not crowded. We were able to be seated right away. Since it was a cold day I ordered the hot tea which was perfect. For my meal I got the yukgaejang soup. They brought out the meals and the banchan side dishes all together when they were ready. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We had a nice conversation with the staff while waiting for our food. There is street parking available which can be difficult to find a spot. Thankfully the restaurant is right next to a bus stop too. The restaurant is small and quaint. since it was not busy it didn't seem crowded or loud at all. Overall a great lunch experience! One of the best Korean restaurants in Pittsburgh. read more

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Best Korean food in Pittsburgh! That's what I heard the table next to us say. The food was delicious and service was great. They're open until 9:00 which is nice for a later dinner. A hot cup of barley tea that you can wrap your hands around is the perfect way to start a meal when it's cold outside. We were promptly brought bon chan/ side dishes (napa cabbage kimchi, seasoned potatoes, bean sprouts, and broccoli/carrots. We started with the kimchi pajun (pancake) which also can be ordered as veggie or seafood. It was nice and crispy on both sides without being oily, and not too spicy - the perfect shareable to start. I was crazy dduk mandu guk (rice cake and potsticker soup with beef). It came out quickly, nice and hot. The mandu was so flavorful and I enjoyed the soup so much! It doesn't come with rice but you can order a side of it. My cousin ordered kimchi chigae / stew which was actually bubbling hot in the stone bowl as was my uncle's dish which was a spicy seafood dish with mussels, etc. A perfect family meal after a day of traveling. I would come back in a heartbeat! read more

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Yum I love Korean food and I've heard good things about this place, despite the rating. And I'll be hyping it up from now on! It's a smaller place, packed tight and buzzing on a Saturday evening. There was a little bit of a wait, but we were seated within 15 mins. It took even less time for our food to come!!! We got japchae, hot stone bibimbap, and the star of the show: beef bulgogi. Your dishes come with Saam like kimchi and potatoes in a soy-like sauce. Everything came out extremely quickly. We didn't bring any alcohol, but a note that they are BYOB! It's a great place to go with a smaller group (6 or less given the table set-up), or on a date night. Sharing was a great idea and we had plenty of leftovers after too! read more

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The Korean server who seems too be the manager of the restaurant is very rude and unprofessional. She's been yelling at customers and watching them eat the food all the time like customers are not going to pay for the food. Definitely not going to revisit! read more

My family came here to celebrate Lunar New Year and we had quite the feast! I had been here a few years ago but for some reason, hadn't come back. Honestly, the food and prices were better than I remembered and they have a lot of dishes that the other Korean restaurants in town do not have. Of course we had to order the traditional New Years meal, ddukgook. It was served in a giant bowl and reminded me so much of my moms, which was exactly what I was hoping for. Other meal highlights: the scallion pancake was so crisp and full of vegetables. And PORK BELLY. My fave Korean meal, one that restaurants don't always have... and the meat here was exceptional. My husband got the pork bulgogi. These were both served to the table on sizzling hot plates, adding to the experience. At the end of the meal, we both commented about how we were full but wanted to keep eating because it was so good. Nice selection of banchan too, and the service was very friendly. Overall this is a great place to go if you are looking for traditional Korean food. I promise to not let years pass again before making it back here. read more

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Great Restaurant Appetizer: Dumplings. They were large and plenty. You get 10 pieces and you get to choose to have them friend or steamed. I definitely recommend if you are splitting with someone and feeling hungry. Main: Hotpot had beef, octopus, tofu, noodles, veggies and a very delicious broth. The sides were good too. My favorite was kimchi. Staff: They were really nice and quick. The lady was very friendly. She was also nice ans waited for us to order for a while because we had an important phone call. Parking and ambiance: It was clean but nothing special. It was a little hard to park but manageable. I would definitely recommend!! Make sure you reserve a spot because it can get busy quickly. read more

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I have visited twice with family and tried a few dishes. The tastes are authentic and the ambience is warm and cozy. The first time I had cold noodles, they were Delicious, with cucumber, pear and nice slices of brisket in a broth flecked with ice chips. The second time I ordered this dish, it was cold but it didn't have the ice chips and the noodles were oddly salty. We also tried the pork belly that was juicy and well seasoned, served with nice sauces and accompaniments. Overall, this is a nice, family owned restaurant with classic preparations of Korean dishes served in a small cafe setting. read more

I came here with my friend trying to look for an authentic Korean restaurant in Pittsburgh, but I didn't get that or an experience I would really come back to. First off, we didn't know we should have gotten reservations before we came, but the waiter still sat us down. When she sat us down she told us we needed to eat fast, however she didn't even take our order until 20 minutes after we sat down. The food came pretty slow considering that the staff wanted us to eat quickly and get out of there. Soondubu- Coming from the Bay Area, I didn't expect this place to be remotely as good as the Korean food back home, but I expected more than this. The soup tasted like it was made out of spicy instant noodle soup powder so it was very bland. The tofu was hot and silky which was really the only good thing about this. The entire dish didn't have much flavor at all. Overall, I'd rather wait to get back to the Bay Area to eat authentic Korean food. I honestly wouldn't recommend coming here. read more

I have eaten here multiple times, and was very happy when they reopened dine-in service after Covid. I have introduced several friends to their first Korean cuisine experience at Nak Won Gardens, and they've all come back for more! Service and food are both excellent. Their prepare all their dishes in a traditional way, which I appreciate as I traveled to Korea for work for 20+ years and loved the food there. Its a small/low key/no frills place, that's clearly a favorite with students in the area. I enjoy their mondu, jap chae and seafood pancake, and try a new dish every time I go- have never been disappointed! Their hot pots look delicious, though I haven't ordered one yet. They are BYO- and Soju (Korean rice wine) can be purchased at the nearby State Store, which makes the meal complete. Highly recommended! read more

Food was very bland. Was being rushed out when we were eating. Also was charged 1$ for a take out box. 50$ for 2 people, appetizer and one entree in Pittsburgh is robbery for bland food. Do not go here! read more

This is the place when you crave good korean food. Their soups hits the spot whenever I get sick. Their bossam is a must try, so nice and delicate. Cold noodles are a must during a hot summer! read more

Nak Won Garden - Naengmyeon and Bo Ssamm - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Good food, service and ambiance. Prices are affordable. Nak Won feel like a "Seoul" dive.

Horrible horrible rude staff. The older women rushed my gf and I out so quickly. I think it was because we were mixed couple and we also felt like we were treated differently compared to everyone else there who were east Asians... Racist Also on top of that we ordered beef bibimap... No meat in it, also had no flavor. We ordered one appetizer and one entree and it totaled to to 48$, kinda pricey for Pittsburgh if you ask me... Also I got the dirtiest look when I asked for takeout and was charged for 1$ for a takeout box. Never again Just do not go read more

Delicious food, very rude service. It was a middle-aged Asian lady who served us. When we insisted that we only wanted to order one dish for two people (the portions are big and we weren't very hungry), she immediately ripped our menu away without talking to us again. We were stunned because it looked like she walked off in anger. While I was writing the tipping bill, she stood right in front of my table the whole time looking at me. As if she knew I wasn't going to tip well, she collected our bill immediately after we left our table. Then she stopped us asking why we gave her such a small tip and proceeded to explain how we misunderstood her good intention despite that I already wanted to leave. However, whether or not she truly had good intentions doesn't change the fact that the entire service was very forceful and extremely uncomfortable. The food is really good though! I recommend ordering takeout or pickup from this restaurant. We've done that many times. The chicken and pork bulgogi are amazing. read more

My wife and I recently moved to the area and have had several meals from Nak Won Garden that we really enjoyed. Two days ago she ordered Jap Chae to go. She ate a lot of it before we uncovered a roach in her food. We're never going back. I've never left a review like this before, but feel it's important to call out health and safety issues. read more

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There are not many Korean restaurants in Pittsburgh. However, Nak Won Garden is obviously more authentic than other Korean fairs in Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. It's a simple, perhaps slightly shabby little restaurant, but it stands out for its authentic Korean cuisine. Service is among average for Asian restaurants. Food is usually served fast. Expect to wait in popular dinner times. Forget the look, get the food. read more

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All we got after 40 min. I am counting every single minute. Asked for the side dish three times yet nothing came. 2 stars instead of one as the food is decent. read more

Nak Won Garden - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

No doubt best Korean food place in Pittsburgh. Have been waiting so long and finally reopened. Food tastes good as always. Extensive menu offering authentic Korean cuisine. And you will notice a kind lady preparing and helping serving your table. Seating is limited, I would highly recommend making reservation especially on weekends. Lastly, I have to mention price. Inflation is crazy, especially on food, but this place has literary kept almost same price at reopening. Just take a look at Gxxxx Pxxxxx and Kxxxx Gxxxxx, two other Korean restaurant, where price for same type of dish has skyrocketed. With the taste better at Nak Won, it is now a no-brained Korean food choice. read more

This was our second time eating here. Just reopened after a long absence. Cozy interior with tables with chairs and benches. Friendly staff and clean restrooms. Only the second time ever eating Korean food so I'm no expert but I know what I like and it's why we came back. Nice variety of dishes and flavors. The pancake and the buckwheat noodles were my favorites. The other items were also good and everything goes well with the condiments. Most things are not as spicy as I might have expected which is a good thing. They do have some spicy things like the kimchi. Every thing considered it was an enjoyable meal. We'll be back again sometime to try some different things. read more

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Walked in, was quickly greeted and seated. I was the only one in the restaurant, which I thought looked clean and like a nice atmosphere. According to the server, it's best to park at GIANT EAGLE's Parking lot and walk over, that way it's free. We did so and had no problems. She got us both water, my guest got a diet coke and it was given in a plastic bottle. We ordered a bunch of food. The mentioned good friend of mine speaks Korean and has visited Korea multiple times. Both he and I agreed that the main-dish-food was very tasty! Everything we had was pretty good, though we felt their Kimchi was weak and not as strong as we both liked. We got the traditional stone bimbambop (stir it immediately when it comes out!), seafood pancake, "unit" stew hot pot, and a pork noodle dish that was divine, wish I could remember the names and spellings. Towards the middle of the meal, the server was no where to be found, we couldn't get our waters filled. When she finally became visible to seat other people who'd just walked in, we got her attention and paid the check. It was very expensive but we DID get a lot of good food-- seems to be a theme for getting Korean food in this city. Tip: Lunch is much cheaper than dinner prices! This place is okay. I will be back for my Korean food fix. read more

Nak Won Garden - I was told this is called "unit" stew when translated directly. It has a slice of american cheese, hotdogs, ramen noodles, mushr., kimchi - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We stopped in for lunch after a long morning of errands, and we were delighted by the flavorful and fresh repast we found at Nak Won Garden. I opted for the beef bulgogi lunch, which was satisfyingly savory with a hint of sweetness. My dining partner had the soybean stew with egg and loved it. It's a small cozy space, but very friendly staff and speedy service. read more

Nak Won Garden - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Very bland food and rude old lady. She got mad at me for putting an 18%, and she changed my tip sheet on her own. Don't go

I was really craving soondubu(tofu soup). I'm staying in downtown and this place is definitely worth the trek to shady side hahaha. I'm from California so my expectations weren't high.... but to my surprise the soondubu was spicy! I loved it. It was flavorful. The woman working was so sweet to us. I have really long hair and she just started braiding it.... hahaha some people might be weirded out but we thought she was so sweet. She told us her favorite parts of the city and had a nice convo(wasn't too busy around 4pm). I recommend this lil gem. It's definitely authentic korean food in my opinion ;) read more

Nak Won Garden - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

In Pittsburgh, Nak Won Garden (NWG) by far, holds the top slot for best Korean in town. The lack of high end Asian and ethnic food choices make NWG a standout. Examples of why you ask? Ban Chan, the customary small side dishes that accompany your meal, provide plenty of variety: kim chi, potato salad, pickled radish, fish cake, boiled bean sprouts, pickled peppers, acorn jelly, dried fish, and greens. These are free and refillable by request so don't be shy if you need more. Korean grilled meats and fish. They have it down to a science; the way they use marinade on beef bulgogi, Galbi ribs [1] and pork. When the choice involves the use of a BBQ hot plate, you really cannot go wrong. As part of the BBQ combos, you also get hot tofu soup, rice, steamed egg and pickled onions for an all-out family style meal affair. If you love fish, you will appreciate the mackerel fish and the croaker as it's perfected salted and grilled, great with steamed rice and that aforementioned Ban Chan. Not to belabor (working here to reduce TL;DR scenarios), but there's more! Hot pot options [2], sizzling rice a la BiBimBop, chicken ginger soup, and other individual appetizers/entrees can be ordered as well [3]. Do not forget to check in with your Yelp app, it will afford you a 10% discount off your meal. Come hungry my friends and happy eating! ----------- Details: [1] Galbi ribs, in particular, are high quality but are quite expensive at about $35 per order. Splurge once and a while, will ya? [2] I did not particularly like one hot pot option that included luncheon meat, go for the other choices. [3] Jap Chae, a potato glass noodle, is another favorite of mine as well. Love the dumplings appetizer, whether pan-fried or steamed. Did I mention seafood pancake? read more

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Make Won Garden is a family owned Korean restaurant, the fried Mandoo (pork dumplings) are very good, I always get Yukeajung beef brisket soup is great, and Kimchee is awesome. My wife gets a variety of dishes that all almost always very good. The husband and wife team are great, she waits tables and he is the chief. When they are busy you may have to wait a bit, but it is well worth it. read more

I'll start off by saying the food was great! I went with my friends who are from Korea because they really missed Korean food. Keep in mind, we went during the winter, so it's been some time since. When we were paying, we were having trouble splitting the bill because some of us ate more than others. But we were being rushed so we just threw one of my cards down and decided to figure it out later. When we were about to leave, the woman serving us pushed the tab back in front of my friend and demanded a better tip. I was shocked because I was sure we left 18%. It not like we made a lot of demands or needed a lot of service so I thought it was plenty. But she kept angrily insisting, and I was shocked because I never experienced anything like that. We just scribbled it out and added more just to get out of there. The food was good but I don't really want to go back. Maybe she was having a bad day, or misunderstood us, but it was a really uncomfortable experience. read more

Nak Won Garden - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Everything was fantastic, the waitress was so helpful and easy-going. I really felt like I was eating in a really inviting Korean family's kitchen! The kimchi scallion pancake we started out with was fantastic, it came out within minutes of being ordered, and for that matter all of the food came out really well timed. I had the chicken bulgogi and my dining partner had a big soup with beef in it. Both of the entrées and the appetizer were amazing. My chicken bulgogi came with lettuce leaves to wrap everything up and a bunch of really small side dishes: spicy pickled cucumbers, kimchi, a marinated kale, sesame oil marinated sprouts, and marinated blanched potatoes. Hands-down the best part of my meal besides the chicken itself, was the onion salad with sesame ginger dressing: they blanched the finely sliced onions so that they weren't spicy or aggressive- honestly one of the most refreshing things I've ever eaten. read more

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The waitresses are very friendly and the restaurant is neat and clean. The overall service is pretty good. I was excited for the Galbi ribs although it's quite pricey. However, it's not even worth to pay $35 for just a small dish, and it tasted not even close to the Korean style Galbi. Very disappointed... I think other dishes should be just fine. But I don't think I recommend this place. read more

Nak Won Garden - Galbi rib. Really expensive and tasted ugh - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

BEST FOOD, will most certainly come again. The workers are so polite. Great atmosphere. read more

Nak Won Garden - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania