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    Wa Gabose

    4.8 (48 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

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    Recommended Reviews - Wa Gabose

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    Donkatsu, sides and dumplings
    Eloy G.

    Saw the place while driving by and stopped at the light on the corner of bicentennial and dove in McAllen. Looked up on Yelp and saw the limited but rave reviews of this small local Korean restaurant. Asked a buddy to go with me a week later to try it out for lunch. The place was not dead but not full either. The customers there all seemed very happy so took that as a good sign. A waitress came over, didn't speak much English mostly Spanish. Good thing I'm from the Valley. Lol. The menu was a smallish menu but well thought out. A few appetizers and a bunch of mains. Sodas and drinks were mostly in a can. I ordered the Donkatsu and dumplings. My buddy ordered the bimbibap. His was served in the traditional hot stone pot and looked amazing. He devoured it. Mine was perfect as well. The Donkatsu was lightly breaded and fried perfectly without overcooking and drying out the meat. The sauce on top was tasty. Think it was gochugang. It came with a side of potato salad and cabbage with a dressing. The little sides were all fresh tasting and excellent. Too many to mention. The kimichi was outstanding. Don't let the strip mall ambience deter you. It's an excellent place to dine and try something new. I will definitely be back to try more items on the menu. Of course the dumplings were good. Chicken dumplings. Filler was made fresh in house not frozen. Was well seasoned and included nice amounts of herbs. The dipping sauce was not just some plain soy sauce. They jazzed up it up with scallions and i think garlic. Give it a try. You won't be sorry.

    17. Korean Ramen 20. Seafood Green Onion Jeon 22. Japchae   3. Maeun Samgyupsal 21. Tteokbokki  10.Kimchi Jjigae
    Julie F.

    We finally got to try the newest korean place in mcallen and it is hands down the BEST korean food we've had in town AND best we've had in a long time. The restaurant is very clean and the service was amazing. We ordered: spicy pork, japchae, kimchi soup, seafood pancake, ramen (for our 6yr old), spicy rice cake and even got fried dumplings... so delicious. We will definitely be returning and recommend to everyone.

    various dishes of food on a table
    Sofia L.

    amazing korean restaurant in the valley! food tastes fresh and authentic. my family loved the ribs, bulgogi, and tteokbokki. waitress and owner kept checking up on us and even replaced our banchan/small dishes with new ones when we finished them. everyone was extremely nice and service was very quick. would highly recommend this place!

    a variety of bowls of food
    Lewis B.

    Oh! Man! It's so good. I would cry if I had a soul. It tastes like my mom cooked it. My mom is not Korean. Yes! It Makes no sense! But if she was Korean I think this is what her food would taste like. I cannot comment on authenticity because I don't know...but BTS posters are everywhere and they play BTS music on the TV, and for a minute it just felt so real to me.

    Spicy squid and rice
    Sophia G.

    My new fav spot in the valley! The waiter was so kind, the food was amazing, and the place looked very clean. Definitely bringing the rest the family next time!

    Dumplings
    Una A.

    What a gem! Stumbled on this spot for dinner with hubby. It's a great spot for authentic Korean food. The sides were amazing! For sure home made! The kimchi was sweet, sour and crisp. Loved the cucumbers! They complimented our meal perfectly. We started with dumplings, which were jam packed with goodness! Fried to perfection. Crispy outside and warm and juicy inside. They give such a generous portion too! Hubby got the bibimbap and I got the galbitang. Our server was so sweet and made us feel at home. She even mixed my hubby's bibimbap with the right amount of sesame oil and gochujang. It was awesome! Probably the best bibimbap we've had! My galbitang was scorching! I was getting a facial with all the steam! It was amazing. The short rib was so soft and well seasoned. The broth had depth and really warms your belly. My favorite bite was a scoop of rice, short rib, soup and a slice of kimchi! Yummm could eat that all day! The servings are very generous and we had more than enough for a second meal. Service was fast and food was even faster. We can't wait to go back!

    Hoang N.

    New Korean restaurant in town so you know definitely need to try it out. Very clean and simple layout and decor. Service was pretty fast even with what appears to be only one waitress and the owner(s) dropping off the the food and bussing. Was pleasantly surprised seeing Galbi-tang on the menu since I don't believe any of the k restaurants serve it. Our order: Galbi-tang: very light yet aromatic broth with the short ribs super tender. With a nice touch with tapioca noodles in there as well. However I felt the broth was a bit underseason and the short ribs were more of chunks off a beef cut like brisket or a roast, not the usual bone on short rib that I'm use too or seen from the restaurant I've had elsewhere. Dolsat bibimbap: very well presented and tasty. Only thing off that rice was not crisped up on the bottom. That's the key part of bibimbap Salted mackerel: big pc of fillet ...simple and comforting. Galbi Ribs-although pricey but definitely the best tasting and most tender ShortRibs I've had in the valley. Side dishes were very tasty as well... Definitely coming back and hope to see quality and service stays the same.

    Interior dining area
    Phoebe W.

    This place is probably the best Korean food in McAllen. I've been to all of them. The food is reasonably priced. Their banchan is super tasty. I like their kimchi; you can taste the shrimp paste in it! We ordered the hot stone bibimbap, tteokbokki, and jjajangmyeon. They were all very tasty and had the right ingredients. The service is very kind and attentive. I didn't have to wait long to place my order, and the food arrived promptly. The restaurant is nice and new, very clean, and there's plenty of space. It fits probably 10 parties. Definitely a must-visit if you are in the Valley and want to try some good authentic Korean food.

    5. Dolsot Bibimbap 15. Jjamppong
    Kelly H.

    We have visited twice and were absolutely satisfied both times. The food is fresh and delicious. We will definitely be back.

    5. Dolsot Bibimbap 21. Tteokbokki 8. Deonjang Jjigae

    The food was so good I swear we didn't talk for the first half of our date and then the other half was spent talking about how good the food we were eating was! 10/10 super delicious, everything was quick and clean, the owner even came around and asked us several times how our food was and if everything was good or if we needed anything! Will definitely be coming back!

    Galbi beef, pan fried mackerel, Korean dumplings, spicy tofu soup.
    Armando S.

    Excellent Korean food. I've eaten Korean food in California , New York and major cities in north Texas. This place is the real deal. If you're craving authentic Korean food and are traveling in McAllen Texas then this is Korean spot to eat at , hands down!

    Bulgogi
    Sarah V.

    Wa Gabose is an excellent Korean restaurant in the RGV. They had authentic tasting dishes and the service was above and beyond. I went with a group and we ordered many dishes, including donkatsu, mandu (Korean dumplings), tteokbokki, bulgogi and galbeeguyee. The food was hot upon arrival and cooked with care + to perfection. I look forward to my next visit!

    David K.

    Everything we have ever eaten here has been excellent. The wait staff is awesome as well. Very friendly staff, food comes out fresh and fast.

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    8 months ago

    Delicious and well priced! Super friendly service and overall a wonderful experience. Definitely some of the best Asian food in the valley.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    First time at this location and both the food and service were amazing. The ambiance was relaxing and inviting. Highly recommend.

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    2 years ago

    Amazing food and excellent service. The atmosphere is very warm and welcoming. Our favorite Korean place in the Valley so far!

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    2 years ago

    I absolutely looooovee it here. The food is always fresh and appetizing, and the staff and owner are very kind!

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    2 years ago

    It was such a great experience, the service was great and they're very friendly. The food Is awsome great tase. Recommended

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    Nak Won Jung Korean Restaurant - Number 10 10. Dol Sot Bi-Bim-Bab

    Nak Won Jung Korean Restaurant

    4.3(129 reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $$

    I am in the area for the 2023 TMN annual meeting. On the day that I arrived, there wasn't anything…read morehappening, yet. I decided to drive over and eat some Korean food. I'll just cut to the chase and say this: this was the best Korean food I've ever had! I had Ja Jjang Myeong and bim- bab. They also served me several side dishes. I liked most of them. Some of them were a "why bother" type of thing. When I first walked in, a lady waved me to a table for eight. The furniture looked like they got their tables from a church fellowship hall. The chairs were folding chairs, also. the walls were decorated with K-pop posters. It was one of those places that had their piles of rice in the dining room. But, it felt really comfortable. They had two TVs showing Korean news. The lady who had waved me to the table, came and brought my kim-bab. I was shocked to see two rolls on the plate. They were huge. I expected one like I had had in San Antonio. She came back a little later with the Ja Jjang Myeong. It was in a huge silver bowl. It looked like a serving for four. As I stirred the noodles into the sauce, I saw that there were lots of chunks of pork and cubed potatoes, hiding in the sauce. The sauce was really tasty. It wasn't salty like the ones I've had in San Antonio. All in all, I have to say that bowl of Ja Jjang Myeong was a highlight of my culinary life! I liked that place so much, that I am probably going to go There for dinner this evening. The conference ends at 10 AM, so I have the rest of the day to myself. I'll do some exploring and head over there to try some other dishes. Everybody I saw from my chapter at the conference got to hear about my experience at the restaurant. I know that one member went there last night for dinner. She raved about it!

    Food is authentic and very good. They give the banchan side dishes and everything is on point…read more Once you get your food, The waitress didnt check in on me if I needed anything else and they only serve bottled water.

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    Nak Won Jung Korean Restaurant - Bulgogi Beef

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    Kokiri Korean Bistro - Bibambap

    Kokiri Korean Bistro

    4.3(26 reviews)
    3.3 mi

    If there was one descriptor of this place it would be just ok. That would be followed by dry…read more Nothing really stood out, everything was just ok. The Korean fried chicken was dry, flavorless and seemed like frozen chicken. Also asked for wings and they brought out tenders. The bulgogi was dry, flavor was ok. There's really nothing more to say after that. Th sides were fine, the kimchi flavor didn't really stand out. The spicy tofu was dry and absent any noticeable flavor. Service was ok, took drink order and food order and didn't really stop by after that. If you stop by and don't notice this place wouldn't blame you one bit. It's a pass. About the only notable thing was they play k pop music videos on the wall.

    My husband and I are new to the area. My husband is Korean and we have been looking for the best…read morerestaurants in the area. We both know what excellent service and authentic food should be. Unfortunately, we were burned on both at Kokiri. There is an online ordering system. I ordered an hour in advance and when my husband went to pick up the food it wasn't ready. He had to wait an additional 15 minutes before it was ready. He spoke to the lady behind the register and then asked to speak a manger. It took 5 minutes for the manager to come out. The manager said the online system isn't really monitored well and to just call next time. My husband asked what could be done and she wrote on a receipt that we would have a free Korean pancake when we go back. My husband tried to explain the hour and 20 minutes at this point and how the system needs to be fixed to help customers not have to wait. She then started to defend herself saying it was busy and the customers in the store also have to wait. ‍ he just politely excused himself and left. I spoke to him later and said "other customers waited an hour and 20 minutes???" He got home. The food was cold and low quality. The Tteokbokki looked like canned soup. The seafood pancake had 1 piece of squid and the only dish they gave sides dishes for was the bulgogi. Serving sizes were also very small. The bulgogi was pretty standard and not bad but it was cold. Overall very disappointed. Today we tried Seoul Asian Market and ordered to-go. Food was ready when we got there. We got side dishes for both meals and portion sizes were good. The Tteokbokki was excellent! If you know your Korean food and want to be treated well, I'll save you stress. Go to Seoul Asian Market instead. I really do hope places like Kokiri start treating customers better and thinking of us when they set up systems they don't plan to manage well.

    Photos
    Kokiri Korean Bistro - The appetizers were a medley of Korean bites to introduce fantastic flavors and and we Loved the Kimchi & Mushrooms and sprouts!

    The appetizers were a medley of Korean bites to introduce fantastic flavors and and we Loved the Kimchi & Mushrooms and sprouts!

    Kokiri Korean Bistro - Bibimbap

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    Wa Gabose - korean - Updated May 2026

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