One of the last standing places in la to get good old charcoal kbbq. They do have free parking but its really tight. Expect to come out smelling smoking though its for the flavor. Service including seating was very fast. They cook for you at the table. Nothing fancy, gets to the point of a kbbq experience We got the most popular soot bull jip galbi which was super delicious 10/10 a must get. We also got the ribs but they lacked in marinate most of the flavor came from the charcoal 6/10. The squid was cooked perfectly 9/10. Both the squid and ribs would have tasted better with some salt but they didn't provide any at the table. read more

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We loved the old school smoke and fire, there's something nostalgic about leaving a Korea Town BBQ place and smelling like the very food you just ate. They grill the meat for you so your only real focus is on eating delicious food. BB read more

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"Are you boys high schoolers?" asked a couple of kind Korean adults next to our table. "Just my youngest brother," I replied, as the rest of us were in college (me, Caleb, Jeremy, and my 2 younger brothers.) "Waiter!" the Korean man bellowed. "I'd like to bless up these young handsome men with 2 orders of the soot bull pork ribs! Wait, no, make that 3 ORDERS!" We could not believe our luck! For context, we had ordered and finished our meats already, and we were still hungry, but as college students on a budget, we could not satisfy our own appetites. In our moment of despair, the people next to us saved us! The moment was truly peanemis (peak cinema). The charcoal grill added so much flavor to the meat that I almost died from happiness. On top of that, our server was the goat! He talked like Alfred the butler and was so nice and chill. The ambiance was great since we went in the morning when it was not too busy. The bathroom was pretty clean too! For Pete's sake (Peter Parker?), do NOT wash your hands if there is someone using the urinal. The urinal is right next to the sink and there's no divider so you lowkey have to hit a defensive stance if you're at the urinal if you wanna keep things private. The pork ribs are a must have, definitely my favorite thing on the menu. The soot bull galbi, pork bulgogi, banchan, rice, and soup were all very solid as well! If anyone were to ask me where in LA they should try for food, this would definitely be in my list of top 5 recommended. Overall, this place is amazing and I will definitely be back! read more

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Soot Bull Jip is one of the last KBBQ restaurants in LA that can use lump charcoal, and that makes its pork ribs super juicy with smoke flavor. The main character here is obviously the pork ribs but their a la carte items are also great. Really recommend chowing down the meat with gochujang jigae & finishing off your meal with cold noodles. Come here to step up your KBBQ game. The restaurant isn't too big or fancy but gets filled every weekend night. Arrive early and prepared to smell like smoke for the rest of the day! read more

Soot Bull Jip - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

What a feast! Soot Bull Jip was charcoal heaven!! I was so impressed with how simple and delicious everything was! My favorite is the following: 1. Galbi ***** 2. Jumulleok 3. Rib Eye Steak The meat was so tender and so flavorful! The Banchan was a nice companion to the meal :) read more

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I came here with a group of friends and we ordered the galbi along with cold rice. For non-Koreans, the name "soot bull" literally means charcoal fire. So the calling card for this place is that they cook your meat over real coals, not just a gas burner (though, to make things easier, there's a gas burner under the coals to light them.) My friends, who are much more galbi experts, all declared that the meat was really good. I generally agree but don't have as much expertise or context of other galbi places. I can certainly say that the pieces were all very uniform and well marbled. Sometimes galbi has just huge chunks of pure fat. Not of that here. The servers did a very good job of cooking the meat and cutting it up. They also cut out the meat between the bones, which is chewy and a little more fatty, but people who like it say it's the best part. The banchan were pretty good, but I wish they had whole pieces of lettuce rather than just the lettuce salad. And they also don't have the rice cake wraps -- not a wrapping place ifb that's how you prefer to eat your meat. Also, you have to ask for sesame oil. They also have a cold rice soup dish. It's an interesting variation on neng meyon. It was fine, but I would have preferred neng meyon. Overall, this is a solid choice for kbbq. (Not AYCE) read more

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We had a slight wait, but there is seating for people waiting. Our server handled the grilling for us, so we did not have to worry about cooking. Overall, it is a louder atmosphere as kbbqs usually are. The grills are gas stove with charcoal above it giving it extra smokiness. The charcoal flavor was not super apparent since the meats that were ordered were sauced. I'll be sure to come back and try some of the other meat options. read more

Soot Bull Jip - Galbi - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Dress in your comfy clothes that you don't mind smelling like smoke and BBQ. I was really excited to see that charcoal being added to the grill once we sat down. Since it was just the two of us, we ordered two types of meats. We got the soot bull galbi, prime beef short rib marinated in house special BBQ sauce. Jummulleok which is prime beef carved into thick cuts with no seasoning and you dip with the sesame oil and salt they provide for you. Both meats are good and you can taste the smokiness from the charcoal and the quality of the meats is a good cut. It's great having someone cook for you while you eat. Once the meat was done, the waitress would cut it up and let us know once it was ready. If you like your meat cooked a little more you can leave on the grill and eat when it's to your liking. I really enjoyed the salad and banchan they had. We didn't need rice, with the salad and banchan, it was great We will be back to try the other meats next time! read more

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A friend refers to this Korean bbq restaurant. It did not disappoint. The charcoal grill truly enhanced the favor of the meats. Everything was so delicious. The price was okay too. Service was top notch. The server grill the meats, it was best service they know to come back to not to overcook the meat. Ambiance was okay, even a Thursday evening it was almost packed. Will come back for the charcoal grill again. read more

Soot Bull Jip - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The charcoal flavor on the meat was top-tier, the dongchimi guksu was so flavorful and refreshing, and the staff's attentiveness and service was impeccable! read more

Soot Bull Jip - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is my second time visiting Soot Bull Jip. Small parking lot available but during busy hours, expect street parking instead. Lunch time is not as busy as dinner time if you don't want to wait. Our table ordered: Short ribs Pork galbi Squid Beef Tongue Dongshimi noodles In my opinion price per plate is pricey, but the quality is good. I won't recommend this restaurant if you plan on eating a lot because it will add up fast. Dongchimi noodles is refreshing. Love the short ribs and beef tongue. Too bad no thin pork belly options here. I wanted to order veg. bibimbap but they said they don't have it even though this is on the menu. For lunch they only had two staffs working for the entire restaurant and eventually our table was neglected. For the price I paid, I had better customer service elsewhere. In terms of vibes, it's not the prettiest restaurant either. Despite the certain points I mentioned, if you're looking for quality meat and you're planning to eat moderately and you don't care too much about aesthetics, this is a solid place. Although it is not my first option, the meat is good. read more

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Korean BBQ two nights in a row? Well YES when you are on the quest to find a Korean BBQ that has charcoal like the good old days - brought in a bucket - flaming hot and then onto your table..... Well, almost. I guess those days are gone. I thought I would get it here, but no. It's gas on the bottom with charcoal over the gas. This allows them to control the heat and it's probably better this way anyway. More controlled. Still, sparks flew and if you had clothes that catch fire easily.... it could happen. OK onto the food. Very good and tasty. To give you an idea, we ordered a tremendous amount of food and every morsel of meat was gone. I mean when the spicy pork came out, I took a look and thought - uh oh there will be lots of left overs but NOPE, every morsel gone. Unlike some other places this place is ala carte so expect some serious $$$ but it was very tasty!!!! I have to admit that even though charcoal was used some other places that don't use it still taste just as good so maybe it's something that will eventually go away. But I am glad I went. This is a cool place to visit, even though the parking sign said "JEEP" not "Jip". read more

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This place was really good, we gave it a try tonight because the other KBBQ places we have been to didn't have charcoal grill. I'm a fan that they offered the sides with the meat chosen as well, and the items we ordered were delicious (my favorite was the bulgogi) of the choices we got -- also getting Jumulleok and half of the table trying the pork (I didn't try it) the staff worked really well together and brought out our items almost immediately after ordering. This place was packed so I know they were going to be good / and truly didn't disappoint! We came in as a table of (8) and had no problem being seated with a reservation made ahead of time. read more

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The galbi is well-marinated, tender, and super flavorful from the charcoal grill. One of the best I've had. Kimchi stew is good, wish it had a little more meat. Solid banchan. A little smoky atmosphere. Free parking! read more

Soot Bull Jip - Soon Bull Galbi - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The flavors of the meat here is out of this world. Juicy and tender meat on top savory goodness. Since I came here for fourth of July it was almost empty. The service was quick and efficient. The bancha was delicious but super tiny portion. I get that bancha is not big portions but three pieces of kimchi is a bit ridiculous. Plus the kimchi was a bit sour. The kimchi soup was beyond flavorful and not sour. In terms of pricing it is a bit much even though it has such good flavor just because two meats and the soup was $150 bucks not including tip. Definitely liked the charcoal flavor to the meat. I would come back but maybe for a special occasion. read more

In a city with countless Korean BBQ restaurants, Soot Bull Jip stands out as one of (if not) the only spots that still utilizes old-school charcoal grills. Considered to be one of the absolute best in Los Angeles, the ambiance here is unrivaled. Service was friendly and efficient, and the food did not disappoint. The six of us ordered a variety of meats, soups, noodles, and more. If looking for a top notch, traditional KBBQ experience, this is an excellent option. read more

Soot Bull Jip - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Quality of meat was good but I don't like that they charge for extra banchan. It was $4 for each additional side dish or $14 for an additional set. They also charge for extra salad ($5). This was the only downside of this place - if the meat wasn't already so pricey *maybe* I wouldn't mind it too much, but I'm so used to being able to load up on the salad with my meat I hated having to be more self conscious about that. read more

Soot Bull Jip - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Started coming here after a recommendation from a coworker. Since our first visit, I've constantly continued to discover amazing dishes. Their pork rib is fantastic. We get the non spicy pork ribs, which has a sweet marinated sauce. It is grilled over charcoal which adds to another dimension of flavor you wouldn't get with a gas grill. The servers do help cook the meet for you but I would recommend that you are still mindful of your grill. There are times when they are so busy, the meat can get a little more charred than I would like. What I really love about this place is some of the additional dishes you can order. I absolutely love their bimbibap. The bowl is filled with vegetable and they give you another bowl of rice to add as much rice or little rice as desired. Their bimbibap sauce is really the star. It's a little spicy, sweet and tart! This is the best bimbibap I've had in a long time. I even bought an extra order Togo. Their gochujang tofu soup is spicy and savory. We had enough left over and we were able to add additional ingredients at home without it watering down the flavor! My husband is a fan of their cold noodles as well. I notice that there were a few comments about the decor in other review. The restaurant has an old school vibe from the late 80 or 90s, which I really don't mind. Overall the place is clean and the food is good. I would recommend coming early as there is a small parking lot. It fills up pretty quickly but there is an attendant that helps direct traffic. read more

The marinated short ribs were elite. I appreciate our server he gave super attentive service. He even deboned the meat for us after it was done cooking. Some of the best tasting short ribs I have had. Definitely watch your face because the charcoal does push off little embers. 10/10 for flavor. Also the salad was super delish read more

First time eating KBBQ here; heard about the coal grills so I had to try it out. The meat is a little pricey but good quality. The House Special Soot Bull Galbi was perfectly marinated but some pieces were a little chewy. The jumulleok did not disappoint; love me some beef short rib. I do feel like the griller for our table was rushing a bit, but I appreciate how the meat was cooked. read more

Soot Bull Jip - Beef Jumulleok (주물럭) - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

TLDR: A tasty charcoal KBBQ experience with well-trained staff who are attentive "behind the scenes" in front of you. Quite easily one of the smoothest dining experiences, where you really don't have to cook, but you also don't notice the staff because of how efficient they are. And what's most impressive? The way the staff CLEANED that Galbi bone! Ughhhh that's going to live rent free in my head for a while! Note: No rice paper, but salad is good, and so are ALL FOUR of their dipping sauces! - - - - - - Korean BBQ grilled over charcoal fire, how many places in KTown have that? Well, while search, Soot Bull Jip is on of those! I visited with a friend on a Monday night, and to be honest, this has been on my list for at least a decade (!) - so much so that I even remembered the street and nearby buildings. Parking is a tad difficult even with a small lot, and there is residential parking, though not the most safe. The waitlist was pretty quick by the door, and walking in to be greeted by charcoal smoke has got to be one of the most mixed experiences. Your face? Sweating potential disgusted. Your nose? Yum, salivating! My friend and I settled on their Jummulok and Soot Bull Jip Kalbi. Both meats came at a good portion - they better, for nearly being $100 total! One regret is that they did not have rice paper, but it really made me appreciate their salad more, a healthier, low carb alternative - if you're on a diet. Both meats were also tender, grilled to perfection by the staff. We also had their naengmyeon (cold noodles), which were tasty, though by this point, I was more than stuffed. At the end, paying was fairly easy, and only then I did really reflect on the dining experience. The restaurant itself is quite small, but the dark, rustic walls hide it pretty well. If you're also into the charcoal experience, seeing sparks fly between grilling and eating is perhaps an exhilarating sight. However, what's most impressive is how the staff slipped in and out of service and cooking, never skipping a beat in keeping those grills stocked with meat. Never once did they interrupt conversations, and they always found the perfect opportunity to ask if we wanted refills on water or sides. Think stagehands in a theatre, they did that, and well. Will be back soon! read more

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Soot Bull Jip is a complete disappointment. As soon as you enter the restaurant, you're greeted with a cloud of smoke. The restaurant had the doors open to allow some ventilation so that was a draft. There was no music and the vents sounded like a broken refrigerator humming throughout dinner. Service was ok, staff cooked the meat for us. This is not ayce and prices were high for Korean bbq so had expected higher quality meat. There is also a minimum of 2 order for the grill. The restaurant a gas half grill with maybe 6-8 pieces charcoal to cook the meat. Unfortunately, the charcoal left an unpleasant burnt flavor on the meat. Some of the meat was kind of chewy. The banchan was minimal, did not look fresh and missed the mark in terms of flavor. read more

Soot Bull Jip - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The beef tongue over charcoal is a game changer. I really enjoyed my experience here and thought the staff were very attentive and friendly. This is my new go to spot. 10/10 I will be back. read more

Soot Bull Jip - Veggies - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The ala carte is scary because of the pricing but what we received was more than worth it. My daughter and I got short ribs and spicy pork, all was brilliant. Great flavor, great banchan simple but good. Kimchee was okay. Once we got seated service was friendly, fast and consistent. Some say it was smoky I didn't notice. The atmosphere was so K BBQ I didn't notice. I WILL DEFINITELY RETURN! Maybe tonight!! read more

This place is truly unmatched. Charcoal grill KBBQ is a rarity nowadays but the smoky taste cannot compare to gas grill KBBQ. Yes, sparks will fly if you get anything that's going to drip onto the charcoal and it does get very smoky, but for me I thought it was so worth it. I came in a group of 6 and we ordered 1 of everything.. yes, everything.. from the beef and pork menu. Everything is so tender. It's so hard for me to pick what truly stood out because they were all amazing, so I'll just leave a few comments. The beef tongue somehow is still really tender despite being very thinly cut. The marinated pork is so well-marinated that I honestly couldn't tell it was pork. Honestly would say I enjoyed the food more than what I've had at some of the really high-end KBBQ restaurants in Koreatown. The staff was amazing - they cooked everything for us and switched out the grills very often. read more

Good food, attentive service. I came to LA for my birthday trip. Definitely a great birthday lunch here! Stew was also fantastic. A sign of a great Korean place is based on their stew. read more

The quality of the food is what you pay for & the flavor is excellent especially with charcoal grilling! This is the only place I know that uses charcoal.. Service is great!! Ambience is clean & decent! And most of all free parking!! read more

I went to this restaurant with a couple of friends for lunch. The pork ribs were delicious as were the beef short ribs, ramyeon, soy bean soup and all the ban chan. Service was great! This place has been here for a long time and the ambiance showed it. Loved it. read more

What Soot Bull Jip does well is using high quality meats and providing a unique experience as being one of the only two KBBQ restaurants in LA that use a charcoal grill. It's not the best bang for your buck as portion sizes here are OK at best. It's not AYCE. The server cooked the Galbi for us but not the bulgolgi so I'm not sure if servers here only cook specific meats. You get a free set of banchan and rice with a 2 meat minimum order. My girlfriend and I got 1 order of bulgolgi ($49) and 1 order of the Soot Bull Galbi ($59) and each had water to drink. The post-tax total came out to $118 + $20 tip which came out to a grand total of $138. We were hungry again about 4 hours later. We could've gone to Hae Jang Chon and gotten similar high quality meats but AYCE for $44 each and stayed full all day. I will say you can taste the charcoal in the cooked meat so it does make a pleasant difference. It was nice to taste charcoal style KBBQ so I would recommend it as a one time thing if you're curious about tasting the difference. Also, the lettuce they serve is pretty addicting but $5 for a refill. read more

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This place is a really unique experience. Short on ambience, but you know what you're getting is legitimate and traditional. Over the open charcoal fire really adds something to the flavor in the whole experience. It's intangible. Service was solid. The demand is certainly great because it was always busy. But the food was excellent. A little bit pricey, but for Koreatown actually quite normal. read more

Amazing Korean BBQ marinated and cooked over charcoal. It was a fun and new experience from a lot of the other KBBQ spots in the area. I will be dreaming about the beef short ribs read more

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Great Korean food and service. Galbi (beef ribs) cooked in charcoal barbecue grill is very delicious. It's probably the best tasting BBQ in town. Our server, Kevin, cut the ribs before and during cooking. He also replaced the grill once it got used a bit. Highly recommended. read more

Soot Bull Jip - Galbi BBQ dinner with many banchans. - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Great food The taste you expect from an OG KBBq spot. Nice portion sizes. Been coming here for a long time and the food has always been great. Real charcoal is used to make nice flavors read more

This isn't AYCE and there's a minimum of two people per table (otherwise, they won't seat you). When you first enter, you'll be greeted with a very smoky ambience. That's because this is one of the few Korean BBQ restaurants that still use charcoal--not electric or gas--to grill. The smokiness of the restaurant did not bother me, as this was to be expected. Cooking on charcoal adds a different dimension to what each meat cut taste like. However, the cuts of meat here are a little on the pricey side. For example, a portion of ribeye steak is $58. A portion of the bulgogi is $43. Also, extra rice and banchan are $3 each. If you like having your food cooked on charcoal, I suppose you might find coming here worth it--as there aren't many charcoal Korean BBQ restaurants left. But, personally speaking, even with all the hate Gen Korean BBQ gets, nothing beats its ~$30 all-you-can-eat dinner price, with whatever meat(s) you want, and all the rice and banchan you want, with its many locations throughout SoCal. Coming here to Soot Bull Jip, however, has had me think about investing in a charcoal grill. On a positive note, Soot Bull Jip does have its own free parking, which makes eating in this restaurant easy, especially since parking in Koreatown is generally a pain in the ass. Also, the service, from Kevin, and other staff, was efficient and friendly. Overall, if you want the charcoal experience, and don't mind paying a premium for it, this is a good place to go. But, keep in mind, this isn't AYCE, and they won't seat you unless you have at least another person with you (two person minimum per table). read more

You would have never guessed it from an outsider looking at the storefront, but this place is epic! Their meats are amazing. I came here with my sister in law who raved about it and it did not disappoint. You are getting what you're paying for... good quality meats and ingredients, and the server will also cook the meat for you. Easily the best KBBQ spot I've been to that I can remember. It's always a good reminder to note that AYCE BBQ never rivals that of premium a la carte ordering.... From their ban chan to the grill, I already can't wait to show this place off to my loved ones. I feel like I just got the low down of the best K BBQ spot in LA! read more

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Pretty average and expensive. They cook on charcoal but really don't have any better flavor than traditional Korean bbq. Sketchy part of town and hard to get to. Wouldn't come back. read more

Wow, a BBQ restaurant smells like BBQ? What a surprise! Some might say it's a bit charred, but that's actually one of the key points of cooking over real charcoal. my husband and I absolutely loved it. The service was excellent, and above all, the meat was incredible! It's been a while since I've had goood beef galbi. Everything was exceptionally done. We'll definitely be there soon! read more

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I visited Soot Bull Jip this weekend. Our table was in the inside room rather than the main dining area. The food was pretty decent and the service was good. However, the ventilation in that room was quite poor. By the end of the meal, the space was filled with smoke -- it was so smoky that you could barely see the ceiling. I honestly felt concerned for the staff who have to work long hours in that environment. After the meal, my throat was irritated, and I immediately noticed how much cleaner the air felt once I stepped outside. I hope the owner considers improving the ventilation system or reconsidering the use of that additional space until proper ventilation is installed. read more

Gotta support this OG Korean BBQ restaurant. One of my faves in town especially since Chosun Galbee's standard have dropped. The only restaurant in koreatown that is still using good ol' charcoal. It doesn't look fancy as the new ones but the food is great. Definitely get the baby back ribs and spicy cold noodles. On the pricier ($60-80 per person) but well worth it. Service is iffy when they are busy but food's solid and I keep coming back. Also, be prepared to smell like bbq! read more

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Alright, this place is honestly kind of fire. Their parking sucks when its busy, but who cares, street park am I right? Anyways, the place is known for their meat thats grilled over charcoal stones which helps the meat taste comparably different to conventional korean bbqs over gas grill. I think the meat quality is also really good and the service is also amazing as they're always walking around and grilling the meats for you. The prices can be hefty so it's a good one in awhile stop. read more

Soot Bull Jip - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California