Delicious! A little pricey but very worth the quality. We had bibimbap, beef bulgogi, dumplings, hot saki, and beer. Everything was very good, came out quickly, had great flavor, and was a large portion. Our waitress was super nice. The inside is very comfy and has great decor. There us plenty of parking on the street and other places to get drinks at nearby. read more

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Great food just AWFUL SERVICE .. I had stand up and go find some one to get my order before that I waited for 15 min... Me and y family were the only ones in the room btw read more

Riverside Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Very authentic well seasoned! The seafood pancake appetizer was one of the best. I had the beef in the hot pot with rice - excellent! We will return on our next trip to Covington! read more

This place is amazing. Best Korean food in cinci. I love the DaeJi Bulgogi spicy pork. I think about it as I'm falling asleep most nights

Korean is one of my *favorite* types of foods and Riverside Korean did not disappoint! I went here to try bibimbap and it would delicious! Located in downtown Covington (not near the river? Close enough, though), the location is settled where you could miss it -- but you won't want to. Went here for lunch with my friend and got seated right away (I was a little worried, not gonna lie!) and they even had traditional floor tables if you wanted that as well. Wonder place, excellent food! I'd recommend it to anyone in Cincinnati/NKY. read more

Riverside Korean Restaurant - Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Unbelievable Korean food- always is amazing and you get so much for what you order! My wife and i's favorite spot around here. And they give you a sample appetizer with your dinner! read more

The food is excellent and authentic here. There's a server who's been here a long time. A young lady. I think Murphy? She is so knowledgeable and kind. She made our visit wonderful. read more

This was my first time having Korean and I honestly wasn't sure what to expect but it was a great experience and I will definitely be back! The restaurant is a cute place where you have your choice of booth, table or sitting on the floor. We chose a regular table. The tables are on the opposite side of the building so it seemed like we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. For an appetizer we had the veggie pancake which was delicious!! We also had the dumplings they were just ok they lacked in flavor and filling. For our meals we all had the Dol Sot Bi Bim Bab. There were four of us, one did just extra veggies no meat and loved it. Another got an extra egg, and another got extra beef. I had just regular beef how ever I would highly recommend getting extra beef! But over all it was very good!! They also had kids meals! So I got my son the Chicken Kas. He can sometimes be a picky eater but he seemed to love the potatoes, I'm not sure what sauce they had on them but he loved it! The portions on all the meals including the kids were great, we had so much left over. If you ever find yourself in Covington craving some Korean give Riverside a try you won't be disappointed!! read more

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Amazing little joint in Covington that looks pretty plain on the outside but has terrific food. We started with the corn tea which was really unique (it tasted exactly like corn), then switched to the traditional green. The Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap was amazing! Served steaming hot in the hot stone bowl it was cooked in so there's even some crunchy rice on the bottom. All of the toppings they brought to the table to enjoy with the bowl were brightly colored and full of flavor. Overall an extremely satisfying meal both in appearance and taste. read more

Riverside Korean Restaurant - Dol Sot Bi Bim Bat - Korean Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

On a cold and rainy night, nothing beats Bibimbap or soondubu. Thankfully, Riverside Korean has the former. I haven't tried the other Korean places in Cincinnati, but I definitely will be going back or more Bibimbap at Riverside. It's cozy inside and has friendly service. I've also had their Daeji Bul Go Gi, which is also pretty good (a little spicy and a little sweet). Their roasted corn tea is nice and mild, and if you haven't already, give it a try. read more

We just moved here from NYC and was looking for a Korean restaurant to fill our K-Town hunger pangs. This place is Okay. The food is over seasoned and flavors are way too strong compared to traditional Korean food that we are used to. I think it's mostly to cater to the regional population as I'm aware mid-west/southern folk enjoy strong flavor. We'll come back when we're needing a Korean fix, but wish it was a little more on the traditional side. read more

The food is amazing. My favorite is the dol sot bi bim bop. If I'd we this be careful because the bowl and your food stays hot throughout the meal. The bol go gi is also another one that will not disappoint. We have had numerous different dishes at this place and have not found anything that isn't worth getting again. read more

We liked this restaurant extra more because they kind of saved our dinner. We had reservations at a restaurant a couple of doors down, and... Let's just say they failed miserably so we went here instead. We ordered chicken fried rice and some spicy chicken dish, and soup. All the food came out pretty fast, and the service was excellent. The food was what you expect from a place like this, though it is a sushi place and we did NOT order sushi, so take my review for what it's worth. A smidge pricey but the location can command it. read more

This. Was. Incredible. I am Korean and my great grandmother made everything from scratch. She she passed, I learned some, but not all. I've been in search of a place that reminded me of home. This was it!!! The food was spectacular. Got the bulgogi, duk mandu guk, and japchae. I drove 4 hours on a short vacation, and I am so happy I found this place. I will definitely be driving 4 hours again to bring my mother. Incredible!! read more

Looking for a quick lunch and found this place. Ethnic restaurants are always a gamble as far as authenticity but this was some of the best Korean food I've ever had! Had the bulgogi lunch box with potatoes and cucumbers, perfectly sized portions and prompt service. Will gladly come back again!! read more

Riverside Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

I cannot believe that I have never reviewed Riverside as many times as I have eaten here over the years. I will wholeheartedly recommend Riverside as the best Korean food that I have so far. Granted, I haven't had THAT much Korean in my life, and (shame-face), even though I'm Korean, Thai and Vietnamese are usually my top Asian cuisine choices (South Korea, please don't auction me off). Riverside is a little pricey, but the service is consistent and the food quality and portions are top-notch. You can call in reservations, with the options of either sitting in a regular booth or on the floor. We always, ALWAYS order the pan fried dumplings and vegetable pancake for starters, both are so good! Crisp and non-greasy and melt-in-your-mouth, served with a drinkable dipping sauce speckled with scallions and sesame seeds. You also get 8 little dishes of ban chan to share (I drool over the potatoes, pickled ginger and kimchi). For mains you can't go wrong with any of the barbecues or stone bowl entrees. In the past I have had the spicy pork, spicy chicken and beef Bulgogi and all three are delicious. The dol sot bibimbap is fun to say and to eat, as you stir the chili sauce into the hot-as-hell bowl and scrape up all the delicious crispy browned rice bits from the bottom (and boy this dish retains some temperature heat, wowza, so bask in a the delightful, leisurely and calming dinner experience!). It's nice to duck into Riverside and get away from the chain options of suburbia or the 2-hour, jostling queues of downtown! read more

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I was solo during a slow lunch and the customer service wasn't that great. Staff was inattentive. I loved the Ban Chan, various side dishes the accompany the meal. The Dol Sot Bi Bim Nap, hot stone bowl, with tofu was not very good. It was kind of bland and the sauce provided was like BBQ with heavy tumeric. read more

Riverside Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Great food! Can get a little noisy but that's ok. We may have caught our waiter on a bad long night Bethesda was definitely annoyed by any questions and wanted not to be there. But the food was great!!! read more

Best korean food I've ever had!! Small place but absolutely loved the feel of it. Call ahead to get a spot on the waiting list because it seems like a huge hit in Convington. read more

Simply Incredible. Great atmosphere and wonderful food. By far one of my favorite restaurants of all time. Definitely try the Dae Gu Tang (spicy codfish soup), you will not be disappointed. read more

Thaw service is great. The ambiance is uncomfortable. I sat on a bench with a tiny thin pad...why bother? The room was very noisy. You have to use your phone to scan the code to look at a menu which I hate! I love looking over all the selections at one time on paper menu especially when it is my first time there. Our server was charming, knowledgeable and quick. I ordered what I was told was the most popular item on the menu which came in a very hot bowl. The food was too hot to put in my mouth so we drank and talked waiting for the food to cool down. The beef was tasty but in large thin sheets. You could use chop sticks or a spoon and fork but there was no knife to cut the meat. The items in the bowl, cucumber, cabbage, carrots, rice were dry. It would have been better with a sauce but we were only offered hot sauce. For the price I would go to BibBop. read more

(4) ~ very good overall food & service DRINKS: ** Water(tap) = (4) very good * OB Lager(Korean) = (3.5) good FOOD ** Dol Sot Bi Bim Bab = (4.5) Very Good, just wish they used Kale instead of spinach ** Korean Sides(i.e. Kimchi) = (4) very good * Yuk Jae Jang = (3.5) good read more

Nice food! I love the seafood soup, really tasty with lots or seafood inside. Hope I can try stone bowl next time. read more

Riverside Korean Restaurant - rice roll (beef) - Korean Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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If this is one of the least enthusiastic four-star reviews you've ever read on Yelp, then that's my cross to bear.... Food-and-menu-wise, Riverside Korean is pretty much standard-issue Korean. Don't get me wrong: This is a great thing, because Korean cuisine is one of my faves and I'm elated that the Cincinnati area has at least one half-way decent and authentic Korean place. This accounts for the rating. But it's a bit silly that Riverside Korean has appeared on Cincinnati Magazine's Top 10 list a few times, because I think the food is pretty average as Korean fare goes, both with respect to the menu and its execution. (At least in my relatively limited experience, which has been confined mostly to a few restaurants in Atlanta and NY that were largely even better.) I'm a big fan of the Korean seafood soups, and what I've had so far at Riverside has been a bit uneven. The cod soup (dae gu mae un tang) was a bit on the bland side, and "bland and Korean"is an oxymoron that just does not compute. But the yellowfish soup (jo gi mae un tang) I had on this last visit had a delicious, bold broth that perfectly balanced the spicy-hot, sour, and salty flavors that characterize a lot of Korean food. Only problem with this second bowl was that it contained only a pitiful sliver of yellowfish and a single giant clam, which isn't too much seafood for a soup with a $16 price tag. Bibambap (mixed rice with veggies, meat (or tofu), and egg) seems to be the go-to and entry-level Korean dish for a lot of people, and what I've sampled from other folks' bowls seems to represent a perfectly respectable and tasty version of it. Riverside has a few of the gas grills for self-grilling the Korean BBQ, which is on the menu. But sadly, the grills appear to be out of commission--I've never seen any diners using them, and no Yelpers here mention them--and it looks like your meat will be cooked in the back with everything else. A damn shame, because sharing a grill with a group at a Korean BBQ place is a singular and great communal dining experience. (I haven't yet had any of the BBQ dishes at Riverside.) The banchan "appetizers" have always been one of my favorite parts of a Korean dinner, but I think Riverside largely drops the ball with this stuff. Willam B. is on the money: Riverside appears to have dialed down the spice levels to account for its mostly Caucasian clientele, and a couple of the items seem to be Westernized and even blander (these are items I haven't seen in Korean restaurants frequented by majority-Korean crowds). Service at Riverside has been friendly and informative, but not always attentive or efficient. This last time, 30-minute chunks of time slid by between drink orders, banchan, and entrees, with little explanation and no apology. Since the previous time we went, Riverside has opened up a second dining area that you enter by walking the length of the original dining area and traversing a labyrinth-like hallway at the back to enter the new area, which is brighter and more open than the somewhat claustrophobic old area. It's like two-restaurants-in-one, which is pretty cool. Overall, Riverside Korean is a great asset for the Cincinnati area. But I gotta say that those who have experience with this cuisine elsewhere might be a little disappointed if they've seen all the sky-high praise here and elsewhere before walking through Riverside's doors for the first time. read more

We ordered take-out last week, and we got food poisoning, which we traced to the Gal Bi Jhim. Never again. read more

This was the first of three restaurants to be hit in one evening, and it was a gem of a find, thanks to Yelp. We were early at 5:10pm, so there was no one but us. We decided to get steamed dumplings and an order of bulgogi. We were going to share the food since we knew we were in for a belly stuffing night. Out came the banchan and my first thought was they sure don't give you very much. Bear in mind, I'm used to having Korean food in places were the portions of banchan were sizable. Here, if you run out of something, you get two refills before they start to charge you for any more. Ouch. We both liked the kimchi, so we got extras of that. The dumplings were good, but how can you mess those up, right? Well, there was plenty of filling and not an excess of wrapper. The bulgogi was a great hit; we were all over it. Since my friend doesn't get to have Korean food as much as I do, I let him eat the majority of it. The meat was lean, marinated very well, and the portion was just right for two people to share. Service was good and the menu had enough variety that if I were in town, I would come back again to try something different. In the time we were there, several other patrons showed up and it seemed the bi bim bap is a very popular dish to order. Hmm...next trip. Check out my photos! Street parking is available. read more

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I was working on location in Cincinnati, OH and Covington is just across the river. We stopped at this Korean restaurant for BBQ and it was great! They even stayed open late for us during lunch time. This is a small town with not a whole lot going on during the day (or night for that matter) so I was surprised to find such a great restaurant on a sleepy little street. The bulgogi and pork BBQ was great! We also had chop chae (noodles) and it was delicious too. The panchan (sp? - side dishes) we all tasty as well - I can't think of a bad thing to say about the food. The service was friendly and fast and we had a great time chatting with our waitress. This is a small, intimate restaurant and you can choose a traditional style table where you sit on the floor or a "regular" table with chairs. My split of the bill cost me around $25 with tip and I ate enough food for about 4 people - I'm NOT exagerrating at all. I highly suggest this restaurant and if I'm ever in the Cincinnati/Convington area again, I'm there! read more

If you have eaten great Korean food in Chicago or San Francisco or New York, don't expect Riverside Restaurant to be up to your standards. The basic ingredients are there, and the ban chan were full of some interesting vegetable dishes, but somebody has gone through and carefully excised anything that might be too spicy, too sour, or too stinky. Even the kim-chi. I ordered my dolsot bi bim bop "spicy," (the choices were "mild," "medium," and "spicy,") and even after I upended a quarter cup of cayenne pepper and an extra dish of hot sauce into it I would say it only made it to medium-spicy. At that point, it was pretty good. This is probably the best Korean restaurant in Covington, and maybe even the greater Cincinnati area. Three stars for that achievement. read more

We haven't been here since the pandemic. Nice renovation but the food no longer tastes as authentic. No more classic Kim Chi as the side dish. Few of my favorites are no longer on the menu. This place has become more of an Asian fusion place...so sad. read more

The food was amazing! If you are looking for a good place for a date night this is the place. They have delicious hot pots for two! Also the service here always great. One night we were here and got to know the server well and she gave use free tea to try. read more

It was a little expensive, but their service is awesome! Food is great and sooo tasty. Although I am Asian, I cannot differentiate "good" rice or "bad" rice. Every rice is the same. But for this restaurant, for the very first time I enjoyed "rice". Not something to stuff myself but something I should enjoy. Definitely recommended for anyone who looking for great Korean food! I had tried their dish for two and it was AWESOME! Give it a try guys! ^^ read more

MR says... worth crossing the border! MRS says ... I can't believe I haven't completed this review. We already moved out of the area so this may not be recent but still very relevant. Like what MR said ... Riverside Korean is worth crossing the border. He meant driving from Cincinnati OH to Covington KY. Don't be fooled by the tiny restaurant. You will find many people would lined up to get in on a busy evening dinner. Reason being, this place serves the best Korean food in the area. We love .. love .. love going here. Now that we live in a different state, we sure miss the luxury of dining at Riverside Korean. We have tried quite a few things and always happy with our choices. read more

Has anyone asked why this place is called Riverside when it's in downtown Covington, not particularly close to the river? DLW and I checked it out because we are both big fans of Korean food, and somehow hadn't gotten around to this place until a recent Friday date night. It's a little hole in the wall place that was expanded to a double-size hole in the wall place by knocking a hole in on of the back walls and connecting two narrow street front properties. Probably 80 people could squeeze into the two spaces. They have the usual Korean stews and soups, which are always good, plus barbecue items cooked in the kitchen (sadly still in search of at the table BBQ experience in Cincy). The big discovery is that they serve hot pot, a giant cauldron of soup with all sorts of goodies inside. One table near us had the seafood version which looked fab. They also have a beef version, veggie/tofu version, and the classic Army stew version with hot dogs and dry noodles, all huge enough to feed 3-4 people. We weren't quite that peckish, so we got a beef bone soup and bulgogi, both darn good, plus a dangerously addictive grapefruit soju. Prices were reasonable and service was good. We absolutely must try a hot pot next time, since this is the only place I've found that has it. Gotta keep culinarily rounded! read more

Really loved this place! First, they accommodate vegetarian options for the appetizers, which is rare and super awesome. Second, my husband and I both got the Dol Sot Bi Bim Bab (mine with tofu, his with beef) and it was off the chain! The crunchy rice on the bottom is life-changing. They brought us extra sauce, and the waiter shared his expertise on eating and mixing, which was much appreciated. Service and food were both fantastic. read more

Riverside Korean Restaurant - Dol sot bi bim bab with tofu-- so good... get it! - Korean Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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I have been here many times and Bruce (chef/owner) sure knows how to churn out authentic korean food. From the apps to the hearty stew the whole menu is delicious. The man du (potstickets) have a good filling, with a crisp and a delicate skin. The hae mul pajun (seafood pancake) is one of the best in town. It is crispy and loaded with squid, shrimp, and crab it comes precut into slices. The kimchi pajun is also very flavorful with the kimchi. Usually you get about 6 rotating banchan (small plates to wet appetite) that vary from picked veggies, fish cakes, kimchis, or my favorite sweet potato cubes. The stew dinners are also the best. They have lots of zhi gae that are spicy tofu kinchi broths and tangs (meat broth based). I always seem to get the bud dae zhi gae which is a mixture of hot dogs and spam. I know it sounds weird, but its a americna G.I created dish in korea. These pots say there are for 2 people but could easily feed 3. read more

Riverside Korean Restaurant - Bu Dae Zhi Gae ramen noodles with spam, hot dogs, rice cakes, tofu, and veggies in a spicy kimchi stew. Military G.I korean food - Korean Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Great service and amazing food. A little on the pricey side but worth it for the portion and quality. Highly recommend!

Dolsot Bip Bim Bap was DELICIOUS. It comes out on a steaming dish, still cooking, still hot. Stays hot the whole time. Love the hot corn tea too! These are two must haves. The servers are always super friendly and do an excellent job. It's super easy to park. I do suggest making reservations because this place is popular. read more

Riverside Korean Restaurant - Hot Corn Tea - Korean Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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This place was great! We just moved to Kentucky and have been looking for a Korean Community/Restaurant, and so far this is the first place we tried. They serve the typical side dishes which were all very delicious, although we would have preferred the cucumber kimchi a little tangier (it must have been a freshly made batch). The atmosphere is nice and quiet when we went and I appreciated that all the decor was actually Korean and not some Japanese or Chinese art thrown here and there to give it an "Asian" feel. My husband had the Bulgogi which he liked. I found it slightly on the dry side, but the marinade was good. It is definitely a marinade they make themselves and not something out of a jar. I had the Sulungtang. It was pretty good and hit the spot, although I wish it came with the radish kimchi and unsalted where I can salt it to my taste like Sulungtang traditionally comes as. However, seeing that this isn't a full on Sulungtang restaurant like the traditional ones, I can see how much more work it would cause the restaurant with an already variety-filled menu. Their kimchi was great, and you know a Korean restaurant is legit when the kimchi is done right! I wish I had asked to buy some from them to take home! Overall, we will definitely return again, but it won't be as often as we'd like. Their prices are very much on the higher side which we are not used to...in Washington State Korean restaurants are much cheaper so we're used to seeing $7.50 next to the Kimchi Stew vs. Riverside's $9.95 and that's a pretty basic selection. Despite of, we understand that due to the lack of available ingredients and Korean restaurants in Kentucky, the restaurant owner get's their supply delivered from Chicago, so with that into consideration, we understand why prices would be higher. Be sure to try this place and take advantage of their happy hour and lunch menu prices! read more

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The food in this place is pretty good. However, the service is horrible!!! I felt genuinely discriminated about. My bf and I (asian) were sat first and asked for a drink menu, the white male server told me they don't have one. Yet another table of who was sat after us white couple asked for a drink menu and he brought out one!!! Through the entire evening he kept ignoring us and only focusing on the white couple next to us. Even the way he talked to us was a 180 compared the way he talked to the other table. I would return for the food but this male server sincerely made me feel like I'm worth nothing and can be simply ignored!!! read more

Tip - happy hour 4-6pm. 1/2 off appetizers, $2 off domestic beers. Got my coors light for $2!!! Appetizer - seafood pancake This is an amazing appetizer. Make sure to eat with the sauce they provide. There's shrimp and squid in every bite. It comes in big portions too. Galbi beef - this is a Korean short ribs, served on a pipping hot skillet. It comes with white rice. Service was very good. They provided a generous portion on bonchan (kim chee and condiments), and refilled when requested. read more

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