Good. Just not as good as it could have been. This was a nice space, with a chill vibe. The noise level is a little high, but it's fine. They do seem to really care about the craft of providing Korean inspired fusion concepts. The Korean style poutine was a good example. Mostly classic poutine, but with crumbled tofu in place of cheese curds. Well played. Especially well played given the scare quotes in the menu to call attention to the fact that "this isn't traditional poutine." I checked the place out with a friend and we ordered a few different dishes. I got the bibimbap, and it was fine. The pickles were in the direction of a bread and butter pickle, which was a nice fusion-y touch. The carrots and pickled cabbage were fine but not notable. The fried egg was perfectly constructed. Good outcome overall, but also a pretty hefty dish. My friend ordered the barbecue combination, which is essentially a three different meats served with rice. She liked it. It's not something I would order, but it looked well presented. All told, I think this was a good destination. They have a very small list of beers available, but the list spans a reasonable number of styles. The staff were very friendly, but also spread pretty thin. There seemed to be some interesting cocktail options, but that's less my thing. I think I expected more, but that doesn't mean I was necessarily disappointed. read more

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I went on a Saturday night it was busy. We did have about a 30 minute wait. It is small so I would recommend a reservation. It was draft weekend as well. We got killer tofu, 3 Cheese Tteokbokki, kimchi, pickled cucumbers and big chicken. I would personally skip the pickled cucumbers they weren't my fave. We really want chicken katsu but we couldn't order cause they were out of it. So we got the bbq chicken instead which was really good. My sister has raved about this tofu for months and it was good so I see why. read more

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We walked in right after they opened at 5pm yesterday and were able to snag the big table for the six adults and one toddler in our group. The inside is small with a small bar with seats and several tables. It filled up really quickly after we got there so I recommend going early if you can. They also take reservations for parties of 8+ online. Our server was super nice and checked in on us as appropriate intervals. We ordered basically half the menu to family style. Everything was pretty good and my favorites were the poutine, Tteokbokki, and kalbi. The cocktails were fun and inventive and also very reasonably priced! Our bill was $342.58 for the six adults and we were absolutely stuffed. It was a very reasonably priced dinner and great value for what we got. I would absolutely come back!! read more

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I met a friend for an early dinner. We had heard that as the evening progresses seating can be hard to find as this is a favorite spot for many. I was seated quickly and orders arrived fast. I ordered a fun cocktail and bulgogi. I enjoyed both and would try another entree when I visit again. read more

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We stopped at Soju for dinner recently. Located right in the heart of Garfield, it is easy to find and there is usually parking nearby. I started off with the Waikiki Spam Jam cocktail which has spam washed mezcal and rum with falernum, passion fruit , lime, and bitters. It was served in a Spam can which I thought was a fun and playful touch! For food, we ordered the Korean poutine which was a fun play on the traditional Canadian poutine. It had Korean curry gravy, tofu crumbles and green onions over French fries. The flavors were insane (in a great way!) for entrees, my boyfriend ordered the kalbi which is short ribs and I ordered the pineapple salmon. The entrees are generous and again the flavors were great! The space itself is cozy and the staff are friendly and helpful. I am looking forward to checking out Soju again in the future! read more

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Such a great dinner spot in Garfield/Bloomfield! The Nori Fries were amazing! Fries were crispy and seasoned perfectly. The hard blood orange soda was delicious too! As an entree, I had the tofu katsu and it was amazing as well!! The staff were so friendly here and we didn't wait long for our food, despite how busy it was. This is a great spot for your weekend dinner plans! read more

Soju - Tofu Katsu - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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We went to a cooking class hosted by the owner at Phipps, and ever since we have been huge fans. The food is inspired by his grandma. They do collaborations/pop ups with other restaurants often, and also have fun little events you can tune into if you follow their instagram. It's homey and cozy in there. Food and drinks are delicious and creative. read more

Soju - Katsu - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

It has been nearly 2 months since I visited this spot for the first time, and it has lived rent free in my mind ever since. This meal was seriously incredible. We split two appetizers, and they were so filling that we didn't even get an entrée! We got the Kimchi-Chi Nachos with beef - the first bite alone was heavenly!! these were the best nachos I've ever had. They were so unique and flavorful. It was a huge bowl and we ate the whole thing. We also got the Spicy Tuna Gimbap - my first time having gimbap! these were huge pieces and so delish! I love tuna so I knew I'd love this dish. This was my bf's first time having raw tuna and he loved it! Soju punch - refreshing and paired perfectly with our meal! Also served in huge glasses! I think they were $10 each which is a steal. FYI this space is small, fills up fast, and they don't take reservations. I suggest getting there when they open at 5. We got there around 5:20 pm and only bar seats and one big table were left. We love sitting at bars so that's what we did! I loved the intimate feel of the space. Such good vibes. The perfect date night spot! read more

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Saw this place listed on multiple top restaurants of Pittsburgh lists so had to finally check it out. They're walk-in only so depending on the time you go, be prepared for a bit of a wait. We came by on a Friday night and our wait was a little over an hour, but luckily there are shops along the street to check out and even a brewery nearby so you can get a drink beforehand. The restaurant itself is pretty small and intimate hence the long wait, they have a small bar as well. The host was the same guy who was our waiter and he was great, a genuinely friendly guy. Wonderful service overall and the food came out pretty quickly. Interestingly, the food came out all together - appetizers and mains. I thought it was a little weird they didn't space it out more. They don't have just soju cocktails on their menu, like I expected. They have beers, wines, and cocktails with different liquors. I ordered the Makgeolli's First Date as my cocktail. It was nicely spiced from the nutmeg. It was good but I'd probably get something else next time. We started with the killer tofu. Big portion, great for a group. It was too much for just 2 people so we took home leftovers. We also got the Korean "poutine" with chicken katsu. This came as a big bowl of fries in gravy and topped with a piece of chicken katsu. Dairy-free! I enjoyed this, it's also a good dish for sharing. A bit heavy though. The chicken was tasty and crispy. There's a huge portion of fries, also enough to take home leftovers. Next, we got the Korean BBQ combination. We liked being able to try three of their different meats - kalbi, bulgogi and pork but we wished there was more meat on the plate. Compared to the other two dishes, we felt the portion was small, especially for the amount of rice in the center. About two slices of eat meat on the plate. The kalbi was the best of the bunch. The meal also came with a couple side dishes of cucumbers and some kimchi. Good meal overall, I'd definitely come back again! read more

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Soju is 5/5, it can never do wrong. Never will take Soju slander. Amazing chicken, amazing HH, go to soju. GO. Don't walk. RUN‍ read more

Soju - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Great food. Wonderful service. Loud and lively. Will most definitely be back. So glad we tried a new spot. My husband was loosing his mind over the kimchi nachos. So goooooddd read more

Amazing Korean food in Pittsburgh!! We went here on Saturday night around 5:30 and there was an hour wait. I'd recommend going right when they open at 5, but it was definitely worth waiting for! We started with the chicken katsu and nori fries. The chicken was so flavorful on its own and equally as amazing when paired with the barbeque sauce. The nori fries were so addicting! I got the pineapple salmon which was cooked to perfection and full of vibrant flavors. I tried my friend's bulgogi and kimchi fried rice and both were absolutely phenomenal! The staff were lovely and the service was quick once we were sat. This is certainly one of our new favorite Asian restaurants in the city, highly recommend. You will not be disappointed with anything you order! read more

Soju - Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Soju is a Korean-American restaurant and full-bar. They serve dinner in a no-reservation dining room as well as through takeout and delivery. Their menu lists foods such as nori French fries, tofu, beef gimbap, tuna gimbap, chicken katsu, Korean fried chicken, kimchi fried rice, poke, and pineapple salmon. Prices are reasonable. Through the Insider Eats website, I ordered four of Soju's entrees for delivery. The cooks promptly prepared my foods. I am definitely no expert on Korean foods, so my ratings are based solely on my personal tastebuds. I thought that the "Kimchijeon" (pancake with kimchi and mung beans) and the "3 Cheese Tteokbokki" (a stir-fried rice-cake dish with hard-boiled eggs) tasted OK. I greatly enjoyed the flavors of the "Korean BBQ Combo Platter" (Bulgogi beef fillet, Kalbi beef ribs, and Dwaejibulgogi pork with rice) and the "BiBimBap" (rice with spinach, bean sprouts, mushrooms, spicy cucumber, and an egg). read more

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Small little joint. We had the poke which was pretty good. The meat combination kalbi was great other meat so so.

Excellent meals! We had the grilled salmon with pineapple and curry poutine with chicken added. Great ambience and staff. We will be back! read more

Soju - Curry pouting with chicken - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Hands down the best chicken katsu in the city (and maybe anywhere) I ALWAYS get the bulgogi & finally got to try the kimchi fried rice with chicken and it was FANTASTIC. I have been here about 6-7 times now and I never plan on stopping. Service and atmosphere are amazing, small, and quaint! So be sure to get there early to grab a seat! Fills up fast and they do not take reservations. read more

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My first visit to Soju. I sat at the bar. I had the Purple Rain & the Saenggang Bae cocktails. Both light & refreshing drinks. The bartender was friendly & attentive. She said the Soju Punch is there most popular cocktail. Soju is a Korean rice liquor & you can get it by the shot or bottle. They also have wine & beer & cava. Menu looks delish. I had the poke bowl & ordered 1/2 sweet & 1/2 spicy. It actually wasn't spicy at all, but has a lot of tuna poke so I enjoyed it. The girl next to me got the tofu which looked amazing. I'd definitely come back. Parking can be tough on Penn Ave. Meters are enforced until 6pm. This place gets crowded & is small in size. read more

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I cannot say enough good things about this place! Soju is normally packed, and they don't take reservations. We happened upon the restaurant on a not so busy night (the Steelers were playing), do we got a seat right away and pretty much had the restaurant to ourselves. The restaurant is small but filled with lots of interesting artwork that creates a hipster, inner city vibe despite being on the outskirts on downtown in the Garfield neighborhood. Penn Avenue has a lot of restaurants but none like this one! First of all, our waiter was outstanding! He was friendly and helpful, and he really made us comfortable with our menu choices. Neither my husband nor myself were familiar with Korean BBQ. I'm not as adventurous as my husband, so I wanted to make sure I'd pick something that I'd like. The waiter gave suggestions and made a point to tell us that Korean BBQ is really approachable in the sense that it's ethnic but familiar comfort foods that most Americans love. I tried 20 new restaurants in 2023, and this was the last one we tried that year, and it IMMEDIATELY went in my top 20 if not top 3. The food was flavorful and tasted like home! I've never tried anything like it before, and I cannot wait to try something new on the menu! Here's what we tried: [Korean BBQ Chicken]: This is the cripsiest fried chicken I've ever tasted, and it came with a spicy sauce that was like an award winning buffalo sauce! [BBQ Combination]: My husband had this meal with 3 different meats: Bulgogi, Kalbi, & Dwaejibulgogi. He loved it, and he thought all was very flavorful! [Katsu Curry]: This meal was the star of the show! As simple as the dish was (crispy chicken, potatoes, and veggies in a curry gravy), this meal packed a punch of flavor! I can't tell you how many times I said out loud, "This is so good!" It was by far one of the best meals I've ever had! Make sure you check out Soju, and keep your mind open to the menu choices because you won't be disappointed! I cannot wait to go back! read more

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We had a great belated Valentine's dinner at Soju! We got there around 5:30 for dinner and were thankfully seated right away. A word of caution that there are only a few tables! Servers were kind through and helpful. We ordered the killer tofu, combo bbq plate and the chicken katsu. The killer tofu was amazing! Such krispy coating and delicious glaze. A huge appetizer portion IMO. Our entrees were good. I was a little disappointed in the servings of vegetables and banchan for both of our plates. But overall they were delicious and we will definitely return! read more

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Perfect place to celebrate one of my best friends' birthdays!! Since reservations aren't accepted, we arrived early and were able to be seated along the wall in the front area. Super cool décor and such a cozy feeling being inside. The drink menu has a lot of great options and is fun to browse. We all fell in love with the "purple rain" cocktail, and I totally recommend it! It was delicious and fancy too. The Kimchirchi Nachos did not disappoint and was a great starter for all. I had the Kastsu (chicken) and it was so delicious. I couldn't finish and took home and it was even better reheated late at night!! I did sample the Bulgogi and it was bomb!! I look forward to returning to sampling other items on the menu. Thanks, Sojo for an awesome first visit! read more

Updated: 3. Not worth price. Feels more american-korean than korean-american if ya get it. Small & cozy. Decent food.

Would definitely rank Soju as one of my top 5 restaurants in Pittsburgh. It's a stellar meal every time! One of the things I love most about this restaurant is the ambiance -- it's very hip and they play great music. Super funky decor inside too. Definitely not a traditional Korean restaurant vibe, but it's really fun! The food is a modern take on Korean classics -- they have all the familiar dishes like fried chicken (fire, but the pieces are massive), kimchi fried rice (FIRE), kimchi pancakes, tteokbokki, etc, but also creative modern dishes like furikake fries (would probably skip this one, it tastes exactly how you'd expect) and killer tofu. Speaking of the tofu -- you absolutely must get this dish if you come here. It is my favorite tofu dish I've ever had at a restaurant hands down. Somehow they make the tofu so crispy yet juicy and flavorful at the same time... this tofu is actually life changing. You can't really go wrong with any of the menu items though!! The cocktail in the SPAM can is really fun too. They don't take reservations for smaller groups so be prepared for a wait, but it's 100% worth it. Wish I went here more while I lived in Pittsburgh :') read more

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Environment very nice. Servers were very sweet. The food was okay. Fried tofu was watery. We ordered entrees as well. It was okay too.

Soju is a definitely a nice place to try if you have time. My friends and I ordered the tteokbokki which I found the sauce to be on the drier side compared to some other ones I've had. The seafood pancake was pretty good as well the chicken appetizer that we ordered. This place had a homey and cozy feel to it with the plates that they used to serve the dishes as well as the decorations. The service was up to standard and my friends and I had a good time. read more

Soju - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Food is as good as I remembered when I came here for the first time couple years back. Generous portion and friendly staff! This place does not take reservations so come early if you want to get a spot. There was already a like at the door when they're about to open. read more

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I love finding new (to us!) spots in our new neighborhood! Soju is a small Korean restaurant with delicious food at a great price. The whole menu read so yummy, so we got several plates to share to maximize trying as much as possible. Sharing is definitely the way to go, as the portions are huge (even the appetizers). We tried the kimchi pancake, korean fried chicken, bibimbap, & korean bbq sampler. Everything was delicious! The pancake was light & spongy with a really good soy dipping sauce. The fried chicken was crispy on the outside & juicy on the inside, and it was served with two sauces (the sweet was our favorite). The bibimbap was filled with a ton of veggies, tender beef, & a perfectly runny egg, and the gochujang spicy sauce was delicious. The sampler was great for sharing as well, and the bulgogi was my favorite of the three meats included. In addition to having great food, the drinks were great too! The cocktails were complex & delicious (mine had lavender for sweetness, gin & mint for herbal flavor, & lemongrass for some tang). The wine list is also super reasonably priced, featuring a range of sparkling, rose, white, & red. The place only accepts walk-ins, which contributed to the neighborhood feel. We snagged two bar seats, and the bartenders were friendly without being overbearing. The walls are decorated with art from local artists, and the music was funky. I'll definitely be back! Food: A Drinks: A Service: B+ Ambiance: B read more

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Let me start with the amazing service..Everyone was wonderful. Service was attentive, and fun. As for the food, it was very good and often creative. For those of you who prefer your Korean food to lean more toward the sweet side, you'll be thrilled. We found the salmon to be especially good, and the accompanying grilled pineapple is a hit. The nori fries were tasty, as was my favorite dish there, the Korean sushi (with spicy tuna). I wasn't a fan of the kimchi fried rice as I found it too sweet for my liking (I prefer savory and spicy). The same for the side of kimchi.. while flavorful, it was a bit saltier than I expected.. Overall, this is a great place.. as evidenced by the wait to get a table. My comments were simply preference differences, not at all quality, which was top notch! read more

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Great Korean spot serving amazing dishes! Theyre open 5-10p. Go early because there's a wait & dishes run out quickly-- that's how good the food is. We ordered the Chicken Katsu app--extremely moist chicken& crunchy exterior, served w/ house BBQ sauce. My husband had the Korean Chicken Fried rice-- not spicy and too good, served w/ a fried egg. I ordered the Bulgogi, served w/ white rice & banchan. You can tell the meat was marinated well lol. The atmosphere was chill, very busy so make sure youre out of the servers' way! They're all really nice& accommodate requests without an eye roll lol. They had 1 all gender bathroom-- very clean despite being busy. Definitely going back to try every dish on the menu! read more

Soju - Korean Chicken fried rice w/ fried egg. Bulgogi w/ banchan far end. - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Nice small place but on the noisy side. Service was good. We shared a few items. The crispy fried chicken was very good and the sweet sauce was very good while the spicy was kind of standard and OK. The Daewjibulgogi was a nice combination of items and the pork was outstanding. Really enjoyed the Katsu Curry. The Kimchi fried was good but would have liked to try other items on the menu. read more

Soju is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh! It has a cozy environment, and it felt like a really cool, fun experience. The servers were wonderful and chatty, and the dishes were brought out timely. The food was both delicious and filling. I went in a party of two, ordering two mains and a side, and both of us had leftovers for later! The side dishes were great as usual. I ordered the bulgogi beef, and it was super juicy and flavorful. The fries were creative and delicious as well. Will definitely come back! read more

Soju - Bulgogi beef, furikake fries - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

My partner and I stopped here before a concert in Burgettstown, PA. We've had this place on our list and we're both so glad that we got to finally go! It was a Tuesday night, so it wasn't too busy (as perhaps Friday or Saturday night). We were sat very quickly and ordered. The food came out no longer than maybe 15 minutes after placing the order. It was all DELICIOUS! Our personal favorite was the Kimchi Caesar Salad (still thinking about it). We would definitely go back, and we look forward to inviting some friends. It is a little smaller inside, so it may not be the best location for large parties, but it's perfect for groups of 3-4 people, with various tables and a bar. read more

Soju - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Been to Soju a few times now, definitely a solid Korean spot in Pittsburgh! This time I came with 2 friends on a weekend around 4:50pm, 10 minutes before opening and there was already a small line forming. We were the last party to be able to be seated at a table (party behind us was offered bar seating). We ordered 4 dishes to share - Korean fried chicken, tteobokki, kimchi fried rice, and bibimbap. The tteok (rice cakes) were flat slices, not the usual logs, but were still yummy and created more surface area for the sauce to coat. I also ordered a cocktail (the gin-based Purple Rain) and they had more traditional Korean options as well (e.g., mageolli). Would definitely come here again! read more

Soju - Korean fried chicken - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Everything about this place just screamed "OK". We showed up without reservations and were told we had to wait 45 minutes for a table for 2. Right after we showed up a party of 4 without reservations was seated immediately. There was another couple waiting and we discussed taking the next 4 seater and eating together. But then the host was able to figure out how to take the table apart so we can have our table for 2. So a bit to be desired in the host realm. Next, we got our drinks. They were also "OK". I had a drink with a tea in it that was just far to dry to be enjoyed. My wife had a drink that was served in a spam tin. It was better but still just "Ok". The food I was most disappointed in. After reading the hype of the place I expected a lot more. For starters we had the Nori fries and beef gimbap. The fries were much like potatoe patch fries but with a bit of seasoning. They did seem like fresh cut fries but not much flavor from the seasoning. The gimbap had really dry seaweed and it was generally not enjoyable. For entrees, I had the BBQ combination. All of the meats were dry and not well prepared and the bbq sauces tasted fine but nothing special. My wife had the bibimbap. Just nothing in it was prepared in an amazing way. The Gochujang was to spicey for me and I tend to enjoy the heat. If it was a $30 dollar meal I think i would have been happy. But for an expensive spot i would expect the quality to be a bit higher. The ambiance was decent for a date night. But there are some weird rules. Like ordering drinks from the host. read more

Was able to snag the last four top without a reservation. The service was very nice, our server came by to apologize for the long wait on our food and constantly let us know the state of our order. With that being said, the food took quite a bit of time and the gimbap was obviously rushed, seen by the poor wrapping and the salmon skin was burnt to a crisp. The restaurant has this very hip vibe so I can see why it's popular but as far as Asian food goes, this is not the place for authenticity. read more

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Soju was okay. Grape soju was bomb. But honestly the meal felt very americanized and not authentic. Was okay but probably wouldn't go back. Didn't care for the satanic artwork either... read more

Soju - bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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So amazing! Made it for the "happy hour" from 5:00pm-6:00pm and didn't realize, so that was a pleasant surprise! Half off beer (got the west coast IPA, yummy), and $10 soju bottles (yogurt flavor was 10/10). Got the kimchi fried rice with chicken. SO good. So much food, I had a whole meal leftover. Place gets so so busy. We came right when they opened and every seat was taken within 20 minutes. Great service and great vibe. read more

Soju - Soju and west coast IPA - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Very laid back atmosphere. I was at first skeptical because I didn't really see a single Asian person around. Sorry, going to an Asian place to eat and the workers are all not, just seems.. odd. Maybe they were hiding because the food was very good. Not shown was the Bim bi bop and the Korean fried chicken. The portions were very generous. KFC was a little different in that it wasn't sauced, sauce was on the side but that worked out well. The curry was very good - and with veggies. Poke was good. Maybe only other thing was that they seemed to be out of a number of beers. The IPA i had was very good. read more

Soju - Chicken Katsu - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Always a great time at Soju! My husband and I have been a few times but decided to take my sister in law there this week. Usually we sit outside on the sidewalk, but given the rain, we sat inside for the first time. The walls are covered with local art and the bar is filled with various liquors (including soju of course!) The staff is kind, welcoming, and helpful (shoutout to Corwin!), and the food is always top notch. We got the kimchi pancake to share, then for entrees my SIL and I both for the Bulgogi (flavorful and cooked perfectly), and my husband did the BiBimBap. I may need to steal his order next time because MAN was that tasty! And the portions are big enough that we had plenty of leftovers to have a delicious meal at home too. Looking forward to coming back soon to our favorite Garfield staple. read more

Soju - Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The food is decent but way overpriced for what it is. The bulgogi is in my picture and it's not like any bulgogi I've had. It's good don't get me wrong but it doesn't taste like bulgogi. The kimchi fried rice as well, didn't taste like it. More like just regular fried rice. Not authentic at all. The service is good and friendly though. Very loud in there so lots of shouting has to be done in there. read more

Food is always really good. Love the twist on Korean with some Pacific Island influence. Japchae, Gimbap (beef or spicy tuna), and the kimchijeon are all incredible. Kimchi fried rice, bibimbap, and poke are great as well. Only complaint is that the food and cocktail menus rarely ever change. The owner does a lot of pop ups, which are auper cool, but that same creativity isnt put into menu at Soju. Everyone that works there is super nice and attentive. Just make wure to come early on a weekend as sesting options are limited read more

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