We were hungry and arrived at Japantown at around 8:35pm. We hadn't had time to read reviews or figure out what our choices were. We parked in the garage and went up to the second floor. There were three restaurants in the immediate vicinity. One told us that they were closed, one was in the process of closing and Seoul Garden was open until 10pm. Many, many years ago, my wife and I ate at Seoul Garden several times. We think that it was called the Emperor's Dinner which was a massive variety of Korean dishes. We're pretty sure that ownership of this restaurant must have changed since then. When we walked in and during the time we were there, we only saw one motorcyclist pick-up an order. There were no other guests. Our table was four adults and two kids. We all had different hunger levels so our order may be considered somewhat odd. Seafood Jun Pan-Fried Mondoo Army Stew Soy & Garlic Wings Mackerel Bibimbop Assortment of 8 Different Banchan (refills were offered) For the duration of our meal, we only saw the gentleman who took our order and served our food. He was very cordial and accommodating. As some other guests have mentioned, the prices are not for the faint of heart. On the flip side, I'm also a believer in that you get what you pay for. The Banchan was excellent and the fact that he asked if we wanted more rather than us having to ask was great. Everything that we ordered was for sharing so people could get a taste of different items. I focused on the Jun, Mondoo, Wings and then did my best to clean up all the Banchan. At the end of our meal, containers were brought out for leftovers and then everyone was served some delicious Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream. read more

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service was amazing and the food was really good! i usually always order mul naengmyeon whenever i eat korean food, this one was very good and unique. the owner was super friendly and created a very comfortable and home-y environment for us + gave free dessert. definitely will be coming back! food is on the pricey side but it tastes very fresh and the quality is worth it. i also love the vibe and interior, my friends and i enjoyed everything about it read more

Seoul Garden - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

We got the beef tongue and the kahlbi! Service was so nice with Timothy and Rose! The place reminded me of a good old Korean restaurant in Santa Clara... lots of traditional wood. They helped us grill the meats and instructed us on the sauces! Refilled our bahn chan several time with such friendly enthusiasm! It a cold day and you was sone warm yummy non pretentious food and be greeted by some with a sunny demeanor... come up here! It's in the upper floor of the Japantown Mall above Daisio close to the Hotel. Easy parking Sunday night! I feel like this place is slept on. Menu is extensive and with images. I like the teardrop small dish-ware because it allows you to pour out the sauce into your food! Great for parties... great for just two friends catching up! Great for dinner before or after movie! read more

Wow what an overlooked, old school gem. It's crazy to think they've been open since 1984. Their barbecue is actually pretty solid - we got the Seoul Garden galbee (boneless) and the "original" galbee. The original galbee was slightly better, and it's cut the traditional style (with one big rib at the end), not LA kalbi style. But both were great. The banchan I thought were fine, I loved the quantity / variety, but some of them were too sweet or too bland for me (although kudos for them being very good about refilling them). The mung bean pancake was very crispy but I don't think I like the flavor of mung bean pancake. Perhaps the seafood pancake is the move next time. Fried chicken was very craggy and not overly sauced - as a matter of personal preference, I didn't love it, the batter almost reminded me a bit of southern fried chicken which I'm not a fan of. They also give you a free matcha ice cream to end your meal! The prices are perhaps a few dollar higher than some of the more popular spots in the Richmond or Sunset, but you don't have to wait in a line and (assuming you don't live in those neighborhoods) you also don't have to spend money Ubering that far out. read more

Giving them 5 stars for the haters that don't understand the restaurant business especially for small businesses. Also, because my mother loved it! Yes, it is one person doing everything, but he's super sweet and thorough. So, have patience coming here. Restaurants probably can't afford more labor when their own costs of food, labor, rent and insurance is so high. With that said, the food is expensive. However, the items we ordered were delicious, clean, fresh, and authentic. Ginseng chicken soup was made with love. Can't find this dish in most Korean spots! Longer wait time because it takes longer to make. Meat fell if the bone, stock was rich and not salty! You can salt it yourself! Mackerel was tasty and juicy. Probably, the best pan fried mackerel I've had. The mungbean pancake was good but not for the price. Side dishes were decent. Kimchee could be better. Location is in the heart of Japan town! That's rare. Mother approved and we will be coming back again! read more

Seoul Garden - Already digging into the ginseng soup - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here for dinner and had an amazing experience! Parking in the shopping center parking garage is very easy and an elevator goes directly up to the second floor around the corner from the restaurant. That could not possibly have been any easier. The guy who owns and operates the restaurant is incredibly friendly and was very helpful in picking dishes and brought out so much food that most of it ended up in take away boxes. Eating here was a really fun experience and I look forward to going back. read more

Seoul Garden - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Lovely, very sweet staff, and the restaurant was very clean and has lots of booths. Walked right in on a holiday Monday. The prices were significantly higher than I saw here on Yelp, and I didn't feel very excited about their banchan or the mackerel which I usually love. The mackerel was tasty, but chewy. I'm not sure why it was so tough. The tokkboekki was very good though with a comfortable level of heat. I would recommend that. read more

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Service is really great and the staff are super attentive and sweet, so 5 stars for this! But everything we ordered was below average (2 stars), especially considering the price. And the Spicy Calamari & Bulgogi was actually $20 higher (!!!) than what's listed on Yelp (no prices on website), so find this pretty misleading. It was also overcooked, so bummer all around. Took a chance on this Japantown fav and left wishing I'd purchased basically anything else there. Apparently I'm not alone, while all the other restaurants were bustling on a busy Sunday evening, this one was virtually empty. read more

Food was great. Nice quiet place to enjoy K BBQ. Not the loud K Pop video-blasting in the background accompanied by beer and soju K BBQ places we typically go to. For a lunch time gathering on a Tuesday, we were the only customers there. Our group favorites were the seafood pancake, fried chicken, Galbi and spicy pork. We often needed to request for the little side dishes for our group party of about 10 people. These ofcourse were unlimited, but we would have hoped the server would have came out more often since our party was so big those little dishes were being eaten very quickly, which also says how great the side dishes tasted as well. The prices were a bit steep and please keep in mind this is NOT AN AYCE place but with a per person of almost $55 each for a group of 10, but we thought since we all don't get out much together it was worth the price. read more

The dolsot bibimbap, banchan, soy & garlic wings, and Mandoo were all so delicious, refreshing, savory and filling! We had such a great experience here, the staff were all so kind, personable, and generous! It was very nice to have a very good, warm meal in such a peaceful and relaxing restaurant after a long day. read more

Seoul Garden - Dolsot Bibimbap, banchan - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great Korean food! Really enjoyed the fish and the pajeong. Got matcha ice cream for dessert. Really enjoyed the ambience of the Korean architecture of the restaurant. read more

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Hidden inside the Japanese plaza is this fine Korean establishment. The owner is very accommodating and quick with service. The food is excellent. We got the kalbi, unmarinated beef and an assortment of stews. We finished all of it down to the last drop! read more

We walked in to an empty restaurant. No reason to turn away, it was during the week. We are quickly greeted warmly and seated. The gentleman helping us was so kind the entirety of our visit!! They are playing light music the lighting is dimmer but still bright. The booths make it feel as though you have your own private seating! Once we ordered our food, it came out quickly and it was warm! The kimchi was some of the best i've ever had. The fried chicken was the crispy and flavorful. Portions were generous. I can't stress how good the service was. I would love for Seoul Garden to see more business because it was definitely worth the price and complimentary matcha ice cream at the end! read more

Amazing food every time going to eat I'm always amazed and satisfied,service and food are always on point ,never fails always food always fire read more

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Very good! Seoul Garden is located inside the Japantown Peace Plaza Mall on the West side, 2nd Floor. As we were having Japanese food for dinner, we all for something different and decided to try Seoul Garden for lunch. We were quite surprised to find that we were quite surprised to find that the restaurant was a bit empty at 12:30 PM. But, we were delighted to find out that they have a lunch special, which is a pretty good deal... We opted for their bibimbap at only $21 which includes a soda. but, we are also very greedy and also ordered their crispy fried chicken... knowing that we wouldn't be able to finish!! ... Which is so yummy and so crispy!!! XD Food is OK to good. Fries chicken is delicious! ;) Overall a pleasant dining experience with good food. Service was very friendly, on point and our waitress was very nice and efficient. read more

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I went here for a birthday party and had the best time. The staff was incredibly friendly and went out of their way to make sure we were having a great time. The food was also fantastic, with several standout bbq dishes. We had an entire section of the restaurant reserved for us and they let us play our own music- it was incredibly fun. read more

Tonight was the 5th year we've come here. We aren't local but every time we come to SF we make a point to stop by Seoul Garden once (or even twice) a trip. The owner is the nicest. The restaurant serves amazing food. I highly recommend the Seoul Garden Galbi! It's a great place to hang with friends and be able to enjoy a nice KBBQ meal together over some drinks. You're seated immediately and the servers are attentive. I've never once left unsatisfied. It's a hidden gym in Japantown for sure. read more

Such wonderful genuine hospitality. The ambiance is peaceful and comforting, the food is incredibly good, but the service is the best part. They made me feel right at home. Will be back!! read more

Seoul Garden - Jap Chae Bokkum - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great service and delicious homestyle Korean food. The bibimbap and kimchi stew were amazing. Would come back again! :)

I love this place! I've been twice and both times the food was fantastic. The portions are large, and they bring lots of side dishes to go with. The inside has a cute little Korean town feel. The servers were always super attentive. I'm vegetarian, and they had plenty of options that could be made vegetarian and my meat eating fiancé loved his meals too! read more

Seoul Garden - 47. Soft Tofu Stew and side dishes - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

The best Korean food in San Francisco , by far. Very fresh ingredients and the quality of the meats is amazing. The service is always excellent. I will definitely continue to go here when I'm craving Korean food!! read more

Visited during the Cherry Blossom Festival, and everywhere was packed. We were seated quickly, but a line formed shortly after. Appears to be a family run restaurant. They were busy - running around taking orders, placing orders, filling water glasses. They apologized for the wait for our orders. We started off with the Mung Bean Jun. They arrived hot and crispy. I really enjoyed these. The banchan arrived shortly after with the Spicy Pork stir fry. So many different varieties of banchan. The spicy pork wasn't too spicy. Kiddo ordered Ramen, which he devoured. For the Dolsot Bibimbap, hubs loved the crispy rice. The stone pot stayed hot for a long time, which helped to create more crispy rice. Just wished there was more beef. The Soy Garlic fried chicken arrived last. It was crispy and flavorful. Just the perfect amount of sauce and the chicken pieces weren't drowning in sauce. Happened to be a warm day in the city, so the restaurant was also very warm. Food was kinda on the pricier side, but we enjoyed our meal overall. read more

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Tasty food and friendly staff. Very clean and cute atmosphere. Mung bean pancakes - 9 Chicken - 8 could be spicier Banchan - 9 Army stew - 10 read more

Seoul Garden - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

We have been going to Seoul Garden for 20 years..Wow! If you want to go to a place where you don't smell like Korean bbq when you leave, kid-friendly and relaxing environment, this is your place. Pre-kids we went frequently. It has a great area for a large parties too! Since kids we have been ordering it delivered. Thanks, Uber Eats. So excited that kids are old enough to go now. The bulgogi and Kalbi were as delish. The prices are competitive if you factor in the service and the bottomless sides. My kids ate their weight in spicy fishcake and bean sprouts. We love the variety and freshness of these sides. Tonight the bbq came with the steamed egg, Kim Chee, spicy turnip, pickled turnip and carrots, pickled seaweed and daikon, mung bean jelly and of course lots of fishcake and bean sprouts. So excited it has lasted through the pandemic!!! read more

WOW!!!! SINCE 1984!? For obvious reasons. Stayed next door Hotel Kabuki and needed some Korean comfort food and Seoul Garden did not disappoint. The owner is so kind and the food is delicious. Once we ordered the food came quick and so flavorful. Bulgogi, pan fried mandoo, fried chicken. But the best banchan was the Kim Chee potato. MAHALO SEOUL GARDEN read more

Seoul Garden is an upscale Korean BBQ and restaurant located in the Japantown mall on the 2nd floor of the west wing. They have impeccable service, appears to be family-owned, and has a lot of seating. It tends to be on the pricier side, however the quiet atmosphere and good service make up for that. It's a great alternative to Brothers Restaurant on Geary. Seoul Garden's Korean mung bean pancakes (mung bean jun) are the best I have ever had, they are crispy and come with a nice lemon dipping sauce. I always order the tofu dol-sot bibimbap and ask to make sure they don't add any seafood-based banchan (or veg. side dishes) like kim chi to the dish in order for it to be vegetarian. They always accidentally add one slice of fish cake (the pink type) on top which is easily removable. Their dol-sot bibimbap is excellent quality, and has me coming back. read more

I see the main issue with the majority of the reviews is the price. Although it is on the higher side, my experience was still a 5 star. The food was amazing, the service freakin great! The server, wish I would've gotten his name, was very attentive, made sure we always had something to drink and even took the time to mix my husband's meal so he can enjoy it properly. The vibes were perfect and no line. Will definitely be visiting again! Unfortunately I only took the one picture but again great experience over all. read more

Seoul Garden - Pot stickers and sides - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing service & food! our server was so nice, definitely recommend this place to all!!

We had the Korean BBQ at Seoul Garden. Short ribs $60, 2x beef tongue $51 each, 2x pork belly $45 each, garlic soy fried chicken $30 and jhap chae (clear noodles) $24. We did the option where we cook it ourselves. The food tasted, not great. Our cooking skills are lacking. As for service, we got the rookie team. They were short staffed and it showed. They also ran out of Terra beer and we had to resort to Cass beer. We wanted their shrimp tempura $45 but it was out. That was disappointing. Regardless, there was no wait for a table and we had a fun time chatting with friends while cooking some meat. read more

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I love this place so much they have great costumer service and amazing food I especially love the steak. Over all I really wood recommend this place. read more

The food was great, loved the soondubu. Awesome place with free green tea ice cream! The service and owner was very nice, and we like the atmosphere. 10/10! read more

The restaurant is very big. Lots of seating. The dolsot bibimbap to me lacked flavor despite adding gochujang. The rice however was perfect with the nice crispy rice on the bottom. Dolsot Bimbimbap with beer was almost $30.00. We'll probably not go here frequently due to the prices. read more

Seoul Garden - Dolsot Bibimbap with beef. - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Classic Korean BBQ. Came for lunch and was seated promptly. Once our order was in, everything came out quickly. The server helped to heat up the grill and we hungrily devoured all the beautifully arranged items! Tasty, fast and so flavorful!! read more

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This was my first time trying Korean barbecue and I really enjoyed it! My brother, cousin, and I ordered the kimchi bokkum (add rice cakes), pork belly, and the galbee to share. The service here was alright. It took a little while for our server to come by and take our initial order, but he seemed to be the only person waiting tables. The atmosphere of the restaurant was chill, and there were only a handful of other customers. We chose to sit at one of the tables that had a grill. Grilling my own food seemed a bit daunting, seeing as I haven't grilled anything before, but thankfully, my cousin took over; he's been to Seoul Garden multiple times over the years, so my brother and I were in good hands. The food was great! The kimchi bokkum was nice and spicy, and the pork belly was filling and fatty (it had a neutral flavor, which made for a great palate cleanser). The highlight of the meal for me was the galbee. Its marinade had an addictive sweet flavor. Surprisingly, we were able to finish almost all of the food we ordered. Based on this experience, I'll definitely make a point of having Korean barbecue again, and I'll have to come back here and order the wings, which I've heard are great. If you're craving some Korean barbecue and just so happen to be in San Francisco, come to Seoul Garden! read more

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We had such a wonderful time at Seoul Garden! Timothy and Rose took great care of us, the food was amazing and the service was exceptional. Will be back! read more

Service was impeccable! Food: 10/10 Will definitely be back! Thank you for such a memorable experience read more

The best Korean bbq in San Francisco and dare I say the United States. Incredibly loving and kind hearted family that owns the place. The meat is fresh, the atmosphere is amazing. read more

Loveeeeeee this korean spot. If youre looking for a local mom + pop korean joint this is IT. My ultimate favorite is their pancakes, mung bean pancake, oyster pancakes, seafood pancakes. They make it so perfect inbetween cripsy af and a nice chew. Its really hard to find a korean that does their pancake right without too much filling or thick batter and seoul garden nailed it! Their crispy fried chicken is fire too. SUPER crispy and fresh. Its like if popeyes and kfc had a baby but prob healthier? I prefer my chicken without the heavy sauces but even when we got their wings with sauce it was the perfect amount of, not overly saucy and sweet. I love all their stews, army stew , chicken ginseng soup, etc, LOVE. Cannot go wrong with that. TONS of sides and its so cute. Also ordered the bbasam? The pork belly was cooked perfectly and it even had oysters. Love love love. I literally went back twice in a month and even thinking about going back next week . To top it off the owner is a sweetheart! read more

beautiful place to have dinner. This place has been around for over 43 years. I always get their tofu veggie stew. I always love the appetizers. I don't know how many bowls of rice I ate, but this time I was charged $3 for extra rice. I used to come here a lot. the first time I was here was 30 years ago. Now I moved, I make sure to say hi when I'm in the area. This inside the Japan plaza. It's funny when I'm Japantown, I eat Korean food instead Japanese food. come check out the place, The Owner and Server is very nice. I usually give cash tips, so the server will get their money right away! read more

Excellent service! Galbi jim and rice cakes were lovely. The barley tea is amazing as well. It may be hard to find since it's inside the shopping center, but it's so worth it. Very cozy as well! read more