Ok, so I visited this place because my fellow Yelpers gave it 4 stars. First time I was ever dissapointed by Yelp. I have had really good bbq, and I have had decent bbq. This would be categorized as less than decent but not horrible. I also wrote an extra long review so that other Yelpers may see this as some sort of cautionary tale to stay away. The web equivalent of orange cones, I guess. First off, when we got there, saw the crowd and thought it was definitely a good sign. Wrong. We waited about 30 mins, which I didn't mind at the time. Once we sat down and looked at their all-you-can-eat BBQ, we realized that they didn't have short ribs included!!! WTF. That's whack. So we proceeded to order one of their combo meals for $48 (3 people for all you can eat was a couple of bucks more only, but I really really wanted short ribs!)- short ribs and sliced beef. When the waitress brought it out, I asked her where the short ribs were. Turns out it was on the plate, but was covered by the sliced beef. Literally, there were about 5 whole short ribs that had been cut up each into 3 pieces. WTH. Since we didn't cook anything yet, we asked our waitress to switch to the all you can eat instead. Hootch charged us an additional $5 even though we called her back secs after she walked away. Stated it was an additional charge for the mushroom and onions that came with the meal, even though it was included in the all you can eat? Weird. Whatever. Meat was ok. The sliced pork belly was waay too thin, almost like bacon. Had no flavor - should have been sliced thicker. No short ribs. Meat was about average, at best. Banchi side items were ok. The lettuce wasn't seasoned, but I liked the circular shaped radishes - used those in lieu of the rice wrappers - tasted better. I assume that the reason why this place is jammin is cause it's Irvine and it's a college town. Really. Or maybe it's the free mini yogurt that they give everyone at the end of their meal. Irvine residents - drive the extra 15 minutes to Diamond Bar where you can get waaay better Korean bbq, buffet style with seasoned lettuce, short ribs and thick cut pork belly!!!!! read more

Tasty, great hospitality, and nice yogurt at the end of the meal. I recommend the short ribs, the Angus beef, and the bulgoki. read more

Yumm. Meat quality is good. STAY AWAY FROM RIB EYE. Sometimes the staff allows you to substitute meats in the packages...sometimes they don't. There's this soup I don't like and sometimes they let me upgrade the soup to nem young... and other times i have to forgo the soup entirely. AYCE only on weekdays. 3.5 if I could. read more

I still LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. Food is always consistent here :D Service is still a hit or miss, but usually is alright during lunch. Verdict: Order brisket and pork belly only if you're doing AYCE. Go for lunch if you want the best service possible. read more

After moving to CA from the east coast where you can visit Pal Park and Fort Lee for some really amazing korean food I was really disappointed with the food quality on the west coast. I mean I was not able to find a good Korean BBQ even in K-town that is pretty sad just feels like nobody really tries out there anymore. After about a year of living in Irvine my wife and I finally decided to go and try Shik Do Rak and let me tell you it was a gem just half a mile from my house I was so happy to finally find a enjoyable korean bbq in CA. Shik Do Rak did it for me with their great meat cuts, prompt service and it is very clean. Its so clean that from the outside you would think that its another bbq made for non koreans but it def meets my wives and mine high bbq standards. Just make sure to not come dinner time this place gets packed. read more

Food's good, but the wait is ridiculous! The four of us waited for about an hour to get seated (I know it was Saturday night. What's with Irvine and having a line everywhere!?!) I would have gone to the little Chinese A&J Restaurant next door, but everyone else was craving Korean BBQ. I think it's faster if a have a large group or 6 or more. Price is good. We ordered the Combo #4, which says for 4 people for $80, but we should have gotten the one for 3 people. It's a LOT of food/meat. (Sidenote: Combo #4 comes with Soju, not sure if you're under 21 what they substitute) I wished they had the little sliced picked cucumbers that most places have for the small dishes. read more

When it comes to Korean BBQ in Southern CA, I know I have plenty of different options. I've been to the AYCE places where our group walked in at 6 and left at 11:30 - no breaks, just kept eating. But I don't eat enough to go chasing after the cheapest AYCE places, I probably won't even eat that much anyways. And I've been to the places that allow you to cook your meat on top of charcoal or some other fancy grill. But where's that wonderful cart that goes around with all of the side dishes, dduk (rice cake slices, for lack of a better term) and moo (radish slices? -_-)? I know that Shik Do Rak may not be as fancy as some of these places, but there's something about this particular restaurant that I feel most comfortable. Their service is not always consistent, sometimes you'll get a really cute and friendly Korean ahjoomma and sometimes you'll get a really flustered, busy, forgetful server, but the meat, the dduk, the hot sauce, the never ending side dish refills, and the free yogurt afterwards are enough for me to overlook all of those flaws. read more

The service was rushed and unpleasant. They seemed to want to hurry us and eat and go. Plus we were a big group of 15, they should want to service us even better. The food quality was alright, nothing really stands out about the taste. Also kinda wish they could get a better stove/hot plate cuz each time they change it it it doesn't seem like they fit well. O yea, and they take reservations, but YOU MUST BE ON TIME, else they keep calling you, and give your table away right away. But it was strangely pack and filled with people. read more

Great service. Went there for the first time yesterday, on a Saturday @6pm. Got there right before they got busy. Waitress knew we were noobs at KBBQ so she would come by and adjust us every couple of minutes. Food wasn't too bad either, the sides would always get refilled. Overall a great experience of korean bbq. P.S. Don't wear too much fancy clothes cause you smell afterwards :) read more

An old friend brought me here on a spontaneous date. And boy did he make the right decision! This was one of the first KBBQ place that I tried out after moving to Irvine - I realize that NorCal KBBQ can not compete with SoCal KBBQ! My friend ordered Combo #3 for us, and even though it really was a lot of food, we finished it all :D Don't forget the complimentary ice cream at the end! My friend ended up treating me, but when I saw the bill - around $50 for the two of us, I was so shocked! Maybe all KBBQ places are like this in Irvine, but I didn't know. Second thoughts about bringing my friends here since we might as well pay the same price per person at an AYCE place. Good: lots of side dishes, location, good food Bad: pretty price-y, long wait if you're not there to beat the lunch/dinner rush read more

$17.99 all you can eat. I love their banchan. I come after my basketball games so my sweaty clothes can absorb the smoke. Don't judge. The service staff isn't rude; its normal to act and talk to people that way in their culture. So packed. Already been here a handful of times. Time to yelp it. I love this place. read more

I like this place better than Cham Sut Gol. For $18 per person, which is $3 more than Cham Sut Gol, you get a whopping 20 items to choose from on the menu!!! This includes beef tongue, 2 different types of pork belly, and 3 different types of intestine. No wonder this place has a long wait sometimes! The wait can be anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes when the restaurant is really busy. Service is really good, servers comes by and change the grill frequently and checks up on you pretty frequently. I don't think I'll be making the drive to Cham Sut Gol anymore. The taste and value is simply better here. The only downside is the wait. Pros: Good menu, 20 items for AYCE dinner Tasted better than Cham Sut Gol to me Service is pretty good Cons: Wait could be bad read more

WOWOWOW one of the best KBBQ restaurants in Irvine and what I love more about this place is that its 20 dollars for all you can eat! They provide all the side dishes I love (radish slices, rice paper, dipping sauces, spicy cucumbers, & more!) Their meat is also pretty dang good! I think I've had everything from brisket to cow tongue. I always leave here super satisfied and with a big fat belly! The service is kinda shitty though. I personally believe they treat you better if you come with a korean, otherwise be prepared to wait 45 mins before you're seated & another couple minutes every time you need your grill changed/order more meat or, ask for more water. Always crowded on the weekends! read more

I love this place! The meat is excellent and the sides are wonderful!

Probably the best KBBQ in Irvine that I've tried. The quality of meat, side dishes and sauce is definitely better than its Garden Grove counterpart. Prices are reasonable and the restaurant itself is clean enough. Positive: For some reason, today when I went, the first order of the beef tongue was freakin' delicious. The best I've had since I moved back here from Japan.(The only other spot that I had really good beef tongue) Negative: While at the Garden Grove location about 2 months ago, my friend and I (same one that was here today) were told to get a move on it when we were finished eating. Obviously there was a wait, but we weren't like gossiping girls talking about the Shah's of Sunset. But nevertheless it didn't leave a good after-taste so to say. Today at the Irvine location, they didn't do it, but I definitely felt a little bit of pressure to get going once we were done. read more

Came here for the first time last week and our party ordered a variety of things, not just BBQ. I had the gochujang soondubu which is my standby. It was very good. I asked for spicy but of course noone ever believes this white girl means SPICY! Two friends had the bibimbap and really enjoyed it saying it was some of the better versions they've had. The rest had the AYCE lunch. Someone slipped me a scrap and it was sooooo good especially when wrapped in the rice paper wrapper. But something made an impression on me that I did not think would. It's that sesame oil spiked with salt and pepper. Holy cow!! Me likey. I kept dipping my wrappers in it and eating them like that. Soooo good! Also, a big plus is they keep refililng the banchan liberally. Can't wait to go back! read more

Quality of the meat is nice! I've been here many times now, and i can say that the meat is fairly well, not to fatty not to lean. However this particular location's service isnt the best. Our server(one time) seemed often rude and would always give a sigh when we asked for something. Another time we came in during the AYCE time (around 9:00 or so) and the lady seemed to be rushing us out. She'd always be constantly adding meat to our grill and asking us if we were done yet. Overall, the meat is fairly good, better than alot of other places i'd say, service=eh read more

I didn't have a good experience here. My husband and I decided to come here for lunch and ordered the marinated galbi. The meat was very bland and didn't have that sweet flavor that the kalbi should have. The meat wasn't tender and felt very chewy. Although the servers did their jobs such as helping with cutting and cooking the meat, none of them looked happy. I felt like whenever we asked for something, they didn't want to do it or we were bothering them. There was only one guy who was smiling and asking people if they needed anything, but he wasn't our server. The only thing that made me happy was the frozen yogurt at the end. They don't advertise it, but if you end up trying this place out, make sure to go up to the front and ask for frozen yogurt. It's free! read more

Has all the basics of a kbbq place for a cheap price. Love fish cake side the most! (most kbbq don't offer this) Normal sauces, typical meat, steamed egg bowl, rice paper, the works. Minus 1 star just because customer service isn't the greatest.. There were at least 7 tables open and they wouldn't seat us for about 45 min bc they wanted us seated just before last call :( Meat came out quickly per request, everything came out pretty smoothly, would come back. read more

I've been to many many kbbq. Gen, flower pig, star, cham sut gool, all that bbq.... This is my favorite joint! Been only coming here. Side dishes were warm and soft like it was freshly made. Hot pepper pork is my favorite! Just don't be a last min customer because we all know that's the worst. read more

I came here on a Friday night for dinner at 6pm and the wait was about 45 minutes. There are different tiers of food you can choose from starting at $17.99, $19.99, 24.99 a person which is a really good deal. I'm just not sold on the quality of meats. The sides were overly salted. The Korean food here was not that impressive. It didn't taste fresh. The servers and greeters were very nice and attentive but the food was just okay. The one thing I did like was the soft serve yogurt they give you after your meal, now that was really good. If you're looking for an affordable meal that's all you can eat, this is the spot to try. read more

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All you can eat Korean BBQ. The food is good. The service is okay. It's always busy but you get soft serve ice cream on the way out. I've gone here several times. I'd go again. read more

Had a very informative waiter. Very good food. Get there around 4 or 5 and you'll beat the dinner rush. Also make sure you go during happy hour alchool is 50% off. LOVE KOREAN BEER!!!! read more

This place was alright. The menu for the food is essentially 4 different combinations. Each combination varies in price and the more expensive you go, the more choices of meat and options increase as well. We ordered the dinner combination #2, however, we felt that #2was really no different than #1. For a kbbq place, I'd say this place is just ok due to its limited selection for a reasonable price. I'd recommend a different kbbq place for a first timer. read more

This place is kinda racist. Came in on June 16, 2019 at 3:45 PM. Our server pretended that she didn't know English, but then was seen speaking perfect English to another Asian family. I asked our server if she could describe the "Glass Noodles" to me and she straight up just said "no." This place and dirty and the food is not that good. read more

Maybe it's just because they had just recently opened when I went and it was just terrible service. I recognized the hostess from the Garden Grove one. She skipped my friend and I on the list. and I was already waiting over 30 minutes. The food was alright compared to the GG as well. So I went back again and it got an extra star, the service is better but the atmosphere just isn't the same as the other one. I almost would rather just drive the extra 20 mins. besides their sign on the outside doesnt even say "shik do rak" it's a tad ghetto at that plaza right now. Hopefully they're fixing it or have fixed it since I was there last. It's also a bonus because it's right next to a Yogurtland! read more

One of those places you could only go once in a blue moon...(in a good way). The food is soooooo good that you don't know when to stop eating - or maybe you don't want to stop. I highly recommend this place if you have self control. Korean BBQ. Not a buffet. Reasonably priced. read more

Be warned, don't sit near the door. I agree with all the comments on the food quality/taste but the problem is everyone rushes you to eat. We always eat fairly quickly as done within 45 minutes but to be rushed when you are paying $50+ is not right. We were not on the AYCE either We were first rushed by the staff as I kept turning down the heat so the meat would be hot but not burnt and could actually take time to wrap and chew our food. Two people came by and turned the heat up. We arrived early before 6 pm but it didn't matter as it got busy and people started standing by our table. I was tempted to ask people to turn to the side so we would not be looking at their behind while eating. Jeez. This was our third time and I'm fretting whether the food quality and location is enough for a return visit. If nothing else I will not sit by the door again. read more

Shik Do Rak is simply amazing....IF you are willing to dish out 40 plus dollars. If not, go to your favorite AYCE place in Garden Grove/West Covinia. The BBQ combinations are incredible. The pork belly, beef, and kalbi are some of the best I've ever had in the states. For a non AYCE joint, they give you A LOT of food! The side dish cart comes by practically every five minutes, and unlike some korean places, they are very attentive and will will up all your side dishes. Speaking of those, this place has a HUGE variety of banchan, from fish cakes to seaweed to japchae, if you ask for it, they probably have it. The BBQ dinners also include either a bottle of "Bohae" plum wine (not my favorite), or a bottle of Soju (my favorite XD). The dinners also come with a single stone pot of soup at the end, as well as rice for everybody at the table. And when you're done, go get complimentary frozen yogurt before you leave. It all adds up to a winning scenario, except for your wallet. The 3 person deals run about 40 bucks, which is reasonable, but i'm sure if you wanted pure quantity you could easily find cheaper. However, Shik Do Rak is still damn good bbq. read more

I tried Shik Do Rak for the first time yesterday. I love it. it's slightly different than the typical Korean BBQ. Of course, they serve you numerous banchan to begin with. you get your kimchi, radish kimchi, tofu, bean sprout, etc... Then, the main course began. We ordered the pork belly. you put all the meat on the grill, and also the mushroom / onion . after it's cooked, you dip it in the hot sauce or salt oil dipping sauce. you roll the meat inside the veggie and/or rice cake. That's it. You're now ready to eat. yum... yum... they also serve you rice and soup. the soup is delicious.. Something to note - you don't get the soup without ordering the rice though.. i give an overall 4 - because of the line and parking... it can get tough at times.. read more

Gotta do the all you can eat for $16.99 but it's only offered on the weekends which kind of sucks from a customer perspective. Food is great, just like the original one in Garden Grove. Side dishes are tasty, meat is not too fatty, you get a scoop of yogurt after and service is prompt. However, stay away from the bland chicken and their pork belly is like bacon and not the tradition Korean (thicker) slices which tastes way better. They're kind of janky with the lettuce too which confuses me because I would think they would want people to load up on lettuce. It's free refills but just annoying that you have to ask every 5 minutes. read more

The food is always good here. If you crave Korean BBQ this is the place that you want to go. Fresh banchan - korean side dishes. This place is always packed, so come early or expect to wait in line for a while. This is one of my favorite korean restaurants. The menu is limited, but the combos is what everyone gets which is a great overall dinner. Don't go here for the atmosphere or romantic dates. It is noisy and the environment is strictly for dining as it is about the food and not the ambiance. read more

The best Korean BBQ in all of South OC. Great service, yummy food, nice portions and priced just right (considering there is really no true competition for them in the area). 2 person orders more than suffice for 3 people. We tried their Combo 1 with 2 adults & 2 children. It was perfect with unlimited side dishes. The total bill came out to less than $40. Don't forget to grab a refreshing frozen yogurt on your way out! :D read more

This is my second time here. The first time we came during "prime time" (anytime after 6pm mon-fri) and got shafted on the seating. They'll sit the larger parties ahead of 2's and 3's. I understand the economics of it, but it's not good for customer morale. This time we went right after work and got there at 5:15pm. No wait and got seated right away. Food was good. Brisket was a BIT more fatty than other places. Usually you get a good plate once in a while, but it was pretty fatty that night. The only difference between here and places in GG is that they do not give you the soup and the egg in the claypot. While they are not dealbreakers because the price is competitive and taste of meat is good, i wish they would at least give the egg dish as part of the AYCE. Unless I'm really craving the egg, i'll hit this place up on the regular as it's way closer than fighting the 5fwy traffic. Just remember to get there before 6pm or else you'll be waiting a while. read more

This is one of my favorite places in town. I was first introduced to the Shik Do Rak in Garden Grove and I was very happy when this one opened in Irvine so I wouldn't have to drive as far. The meat is always fresh and delicious. Prefer the duk bo sam combos to any of the marinated choices. The deckle is good, the prime rib even better and I've even learned to love the pork belly. I've been to various AYCE places which are cheaper but I definitely tasted it in the quality. Here, for a reasonable price, I can walk away content. (Just saw in other reviews that there is AYCE here, will have to try it...) It's true, the servers do not always give the best service but they are not the worse either. The place is just always super busy. Much better than going into a place that is empty and the servers ignore you. read more

Why not 5? The wait is not very fun! There are not enough seats for people to wait, so sometimes you have to stand outside, and when it's cold, it's not very fun. But the food here is great! Would definitely recommend!! read more

Oh Korean BBQ...how I love thee! The smell of your meat cooking on the grill, the taste of your kimchi tickling my tongue, the way in which your 'all-you-can eat' (AYCE)style fills my belly and makes me happy. Yes...Korean BBQ & I have a special connection and my #1 choice is "Shik Do Rak"!!! This place has amazing quality meat (I love the brisket!) and a lot of sides to relish in. Basically I come hungry & I leave happy. People may tell you to drive all the way to Koreatown to get some good AYCE Korean BBQ...but those people are 100% foolish. Foolish I tell you! People in LA should come to Irvine for this stuff! I mean I've been to "Road to Seoul" or other places in Koreatown that are supposed to be "the best" but they don't hold a candle to Shik do Rak. I mean this place is soo good I would come here every night if I felt like stuffing myself. And the best part is - your meal ends with a little free yogurt treat! How great is that?!?! My personal recommendation is the blueberry - great way to soften your palate after you've slathered it with all that amazing food. So do yourself a favor quit trying to pretend you know all about AYCE and come here to get the real deal. Always consistently good. P.S. be prepared to wait...I'm not the only one who knows about this gem. read more

Mediocre. This place cannot compare to the best AYCE korean bbq places, though it's not the worst. The meat quality is so-so, I can clearly see large portions of blubbery white fat hanging from the ribs, and bulgogi. The best meat to get is probably the brisket (unmarinated and curled up in thin pink rolls). The ribs were okay as was the bulgogi. I didn't really like the marinated meats, since the marination tasted a little off (not sweet enough and not flavorful). The plate of mushrooms and onions consisted mostly of onions (very little mushroom). The steamed egg was way over done (hardly any liquid, and the egg had become thick and spongy), the bean sprouts were a tiny bit too salty though still edible. The fish cake was okay, very thin strips. There were only about 6 sides of banchan and they were all cut very roughly - for example, the marinated cucumber was cut in thick, coarse rounds. This place doesn't give you any salad, unless u ask for it. There were only two dipping sauces (sesame oil with salt and pepper, and a red spicy one). Our server was attentive in refilling the banchan and making sure we got a new grill plate. However, Shik Do Rak seems to take orders for only 2 meats at a time. Overall, a disappointing experience. read more

It's hard to find good AYCE KBBQ in OC at a decent price. Most places you go will be $20+ per person. SO when I discovered Shik I was presently surprised. for 16.99 or 13.99 after 9:15pm you get AYCE. There's not a huge variety as you would find in other places but they have all the basics. The meat is good but not great quality but it still very tasty. The sides are some of the best I've had. The service is top notch, quick, friendly, and attentive. And the best part about this place is you get frozen yogurt at the end! Overall, I say this is one of the most tasty and affordable KBBQ places in Irvine and I will definitely come back here. read more

Pretty good KBBQ! Reservations: wont take them for less than a group of 5 people, hence wait time may be really long. Food: Great! The servers were really fast at bringing our meat out, and courteously brought out any requests we had here and there. Not that I actually asked, but they only have 2 sauces---hotsauce and an oil-salt combination, unlike other KBBQ restaurants that have the special brown soy sauce (this I was a bit sad about) We also tried some new things: octopus and pork neck. I lived. It was good. read more