BB Bowl
2601 Blanding Ave,Ste B, Alameda, CA, 94501
BB Bowl Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Alameda for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Alameda for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Alameda for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
2601 Blanding Ave,Ste B
Alameda, CA, 94501 - Phone (510) 521-1325
- Website https://www.bbbowls.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 8:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Amy C.
This place really surprised me. A Korean place in a strip mall? I was expecting bland Americanized food. But given the lack of Korean on the island, I eventually got so desperate that I gave it a chance. The kimchi bowl and the tofu soup were both very tasty. What struck me was the ripeness of the kimchi and the depth of the soup's flavor. The service was also fantastic. They even let me buy a carton of kimchi to take home.
(4)BeFree Y.
i ordered a Rainbow rice bowl with BBQ chicken, bowl with vegetables and rice and chicken, but the bowl had no chicken. thrn my son found 4 pieces of chicken and each piece is smaller than my wife diamond, yes , its that small, smaller than 1 ct, and i thinkni paid more than $10, i also ordered BBQ Bulgogi , the first time was ok, but the second time was too salty and had too much oil sauce over the rice. i dont think we are going back there.
(1)Roxanne A.
So, I'm basically in love with this place. My boyfriend and I come here almost all the time. There are times when we come about 3 days a week. Haha. I had to control myself because I feel kind of embarrassed because they see me all the time! XD Anyways, on to the review! We've tried their Bulgogi Bowl, Rainbow Beef Bowl, Kimbap, Mandu, and Tteokbokki! I think the food is very good here and the portion looks small at first but once you start eating you'll see how there is actually a lot! We end up ordering a lot all the time because we don't want to leave without Tteokbokki, one of the rice bowls or the Mandu, so we end up getting them all. Lol. My ultimate favorite is the Tteokbokki! It's vey delicious to me and not too spicy for my taste! It's sweet-ish and is very good with Mozzarella cheese! I have made tteokbokki at home a lot of times and I just can't make mine taste like theirs! I noticed they've added a few dishes to their menu lately and I have yet to try those! And I don't know if they have Kimchi Fried Rice yet or if they will ever add it to the menu but I'm hopeful! I recommend this place to anyone and make sure to try the Tteokbokki with cheese! :)
(5)John R.
Just when I was going to shave some of my eating out $$... Comes along BB Bowl! I partook in the Beef Bowl. Lot's of flavorful beef with a plethora of veggies and steamed rice. The person behind the counter sprinkled some nuts and a sauce of some sort across the top to finish it off. After a couple of bites (needed more of an umph) I tried the hot sauce on the table. Just a drop at first, but wow! That stuff brought out some great flavors! I drizzled it like no tomorrow! Basic set up: Walk in Order They give you a bunch of this and that, and voila! A great bowl at a decent price.
(5)Mike C.
Serving instant ramen in a Bay Area restaurant should be a crime. You people have no shame. The ramen is very similar to mama ramen instant noodles in both soup base and noodle texture. I actually like that brand which is why this gets two stars. Not a huge fan of yojimbo but I will go there next time instead.
(2)Albertino M.
Time: 12:21pm/60°F cloudy Purpose: The last time I came here was two days before their grand opening. I've waited and waited for a call, no call, nothing. Let's get to the point, they forgot me and pursue another agent. Ambiance: Located in Alameda Bridgeside Shopping Center complex. This place is just Korean fast food nothing fancy-smancy about it. About 30+ seater with a 24'-inch flat screen angle view. Color schemes are orange, gray and white with couple of pictures here and there. Counter set up all standard stuff premade food in warmers. Four panel overhead menu board with to-go containers stack up and a counter. Inner back reveals storage room, emergency door and unisex restroom. Staff: Three girls about early late 30s really friendly greeted me right away with smiles. I ask what's new from last last time I was here? Sadly, she didn't remember me, but I did remember her. After some hehehaha, it became apparent she did recall me being there before. I didn't go any further knowing they have another rep on hand already. Why waste my breath? Its ok, no hard feelings! Sigh! Cleanliness: Grade A, place is clean for fast food standards. Only complain here are the squeezable sauce bottles. The tips had dry sauce with some making its way slowly near neckline of bottle. Self help utensil organizer had forks in knives section and vice versa. Eats/Drinks: BB japchae bowl $7.95. I had a choice of rice or clear silver noodle at no extra charge. Took the latter. Mixed veggies were definitely fresh however, the chicken seems old with grayish coloring. Chicken pieces were in cubes measuring about 0.5'×0.5'-inch. It was hidden bottom of bowl with handful of noodle covering it. Flavor was kinda bland too. Went ahead with sauce bottles in an attempt to bring it back more commensurable to enjoy. Meh, what I just did was added more sodium to my food in liquid paste form. Now, if sauce didn't work, I doubt kimchee would help. Didn't drink anything, as their selection was weak, water only. End up liking the silver noodle and nothing else. Next time just buy a side glob of silver noodle and entertain it myself at home. This way I can experiment and explore different pairings of taste. Products/Services: Soft tofu soup, BB soondubu, bibimbap/mixed rice bowls, rice curry bowl, mandu, kimbap, dukbokki, ramen, japchae, bulgogi, sides, assorted cold drinks. Extra toppings $1.50. Baby booster chairs. Takes plastic. Free Wi-Fi (password: bbbowl1234). Punch Lines: Pleasing flavors, average prices, drool-worthy, easy night out, imaginable toppings, laid back, calm vibe, kitschy decor, zippy service, nothing out of the ordinary, casual and delicious, kept its standards, satisfactory, kid friendly, ample parking spaces, shared business complex, various specialty shops, service station, AC Transit end of line stop. Tradeoffs: Not authentic Korean food, but at least you don't have to shell out more just to get a taste of Korean food cravings. Final Thoughts: I find the experience here quite good. Though not top notch, but enough to put a side your carvings. These types of places just makes you cringed afterwards. It's somewhat sad to see workers so nice, but food so average. Where do you draw the line? You can't, their friendly demeanor makes you overlooked the food. Rolling out with 3.5 stars can't muster more than that.
(3)Kate V.
Disclaimer: if authenticity is your jam and you're not willing to cut corners for the sake of a cheap/quick bite, I recommend checking out the Korean options in Oakland or Santa Clara rather than here. BUT if you're open-minded, looking to save a buck, AND are trying to eat healthy... read on! What I appreciate about BB Bowl is its self-awareness. I was pleasantly surprised when I Googled the place during my 2nd visit to test my assumption that it was a chain. Nope! Just the brainchild of an Alameda resident hoping to insert "bi bim bap" into the local lexicon. The Korean American owners are 100% intentional of their assembly-line approach to Korean food, carefully constructing their Chipotle-like enterprise so that the mainstream might begin to enjoy some of the cuisine's offerings besides the famous (and pricey) K BBQ. Personally, I'm always on the hunt for inexpensive, healthy lunches. So BB Bowl's $7-8 dollar "Rainbow Rice Bowls," customizable bi bim bap that do not skimp on the fresh veggies, are my new favorite thing. It also doesn't hurt that the employees here are really nice, it's super easy to park (location is a not very busy shopping center), and the inside of the restaurant is like the cutest/cleanest fast food joint I've ever stepped in. Yay.
(5)Ander C.
My first time in a korean restaurant thats been setup like a fast food joint where they make your dish in front of you like Chipotle. There aren't many korean places in Alameda and this one is just okay, not great, not horrible and other than the bim bi bap, they have other selections on the menu like tofu soup and other items. The sauce that they have tables for you to add to your dish did taste a bit watered down so no matter how much you add it still tastes the same. I went not expecting too much and if you approach it in that way, you'll more or less walk away satisfied. The portion size is not too big but if you want to satisfy that craving for korean and don't have much time nor want to drive far then you can hit this place up.
(3)Cynthia Y.
Been here about 4 times now. I wish to come more often but since they don't have beer my husband says let's go somewhere else. So I normally come by myself. Their Ramen is good and they are nice people. They seem not to be too busy and I think that it's the location. They need to advertise more. Other than that it's a good place to grab lunch.
(4)Janelle J.
I got the bibimbap twice now and though all the ingredients are fresh and serving size is pleantiful, I'm used to eating pretty authentic korean cuisine and I'd have to say this falls a bit short on taste. Really healthy portions and great customer service though!
(3)Lil-turtle L.
This place was a disappointment, not even legit Korean food.. But I would recommend this place if you're on lunch break and needed something quick to eat
(2)Dor H.
If you're reading this and you're one of the OG's that remember buying a big package of kimbap from Woori market back in the day, then keep reading. I fell into a slight depression because I discovered their kimbap right before they closed down. I love kimbap and I also love nothing more than good food in my own backyard. Well now I found it! Some decently priced kimbap and its more than enough to hold your appetite for $5. Everything except the carrots were perfectly seasoned. And good lord I ordered it to go and sat down for less than 5 minutes and I was on my way. I also got the mandu, very small and flimsy but the filling had good flavor and you could tell its handmade. I'm excited to come back and try some dubbokki I also couldn't pass up a bottled tea called Argo tea. If you understand this movie reference then I suggest you try this place out. But if you don't, then Argofuck yourself. (Please laugh, that was funny)
(4)S M.
Sort of like a Korean version of Chipotle. Assembly line approach. The ingredients are fresh. I like the Rainbow Bowl and Bi Bim Bop. The ramen is 'alright', not great. The noodles are a bit too squishy. They will add extra heat to any dish if you ask them and spice things well.
(4)Coi T.
omg, seriously the best bowl type food i had in such a long time!!! they need to open one in SoCal, ASAP!!!
(5)Paul L.
Dear BB Bowl, It's odd. On one hand I had high hopes for you, as Alameda is really lacking any Korean options. On the other hand, I had very low expectations as any korean "fast food" joint tends to be pretty subpar. I went and immediately was craving dukbokee. But it looked a bit old, sitting out there, the sauce become a glazed cover... I thought about asking for a fresh batch, but felt bad so... I order the soodoobu, my friend the bimbimbap. It wasn't bad. An ok option if someone is craving korean and doesn't want to drive a few miles to one of the good korean places in oakland. It really is. I would pick this over a sandwich or chinese food or any other quick meals you can grab in alameda. But.. I find the prices a bit to high for the amount we received. Let's be real here, bibimbap is a very low cost item. Soodoobu is also pretty easily made. I understand, that is what makes this kind of business possible, so nothing against that, but for the prices listed, I wish you would have given heaping portions. But again, if one is craving some simple quick korean food, you are not bad at all. I just hope you choose to be more generous in your quantity. Glad you are in town and have given all of us Alamedans a new option. perhaps I will visit you again,
(2)Steven C.
I am by no means a Korean cuisine connoisseur, but this place was ok overall. If you are craving Korean food and you live in Alameda, there are no other place that is close by except in Oakland where you can find some decent Korean food. I usually order their bibimbap (rice bowl) and the food seemed slightly not as flavorful as what is served in restaurants. However, for the price you pay, it is okay. I will not complain, as restaurants usually charge $12+ for bibimbap and this place only charges less than $10 for the same thing without the side dishes.
(3)Karen W.
We had been wanting to try this place and discovered they are open on Sundays now. We ordered the beef bibimbap (beef rainbow bowl) and chicken ramen. Portions were hearty and tasty. The bibimbap has a dried egg rather than fried egg and the ramen had the fried egg. Noodles for ramen came in a package so I don't think they were fresh noodles
(3)Gary S.
I had the japchae. It was delicious. I can't wait to return to try other things! Friendly service, great prices! My new favorite for local Korean cuisine.
(5)j f.
I love how fresh and refreshing the bim bap bowls were!! I have to try the other dishes next time
(5)Carol C.
I don't dine on Korean cuisine very often. My husband and I decided to order a few things to go for our dinner the other night - beef bulgogi, bibimbap (mixed rice bowl) and kimbap (Korean rice roll). I can't say the food was superb; then I can't say it was terrible. I believe I am safe in saying that the food was A-OK. The kimbap is the "Korean style of sushi roll". The rice, strips of eggs, "ball park sausage" and vegetable are wrapped in nori. For $4.95, one gets eight pieces. I really don't know what "ball park sausage" is because I am thinking in terms of "ball park franks" that are eaten at baseball games. The meat looks like shredded beef. The bibimbap with chicken was flavorful without additional soy sauce. If you drizzle a tad more soy sauce into the dish, ai yah, it becomes too salty. Ambiance: BB Bowl is clean; I did not see any litter on the floor, no sticky tables, counter space where the utensils are stored is pretty much organized. They have free wi-fi available and the walls are adorned with nice pictures. The two employees serving us are friendly, and they acknowledge us immediately. The prices for their menu items are reasonable. I will probably return to try other items on the menu - BB Japchae, BB Mandu and BB Bulgogi.
(3)Mark P.
Great FRESH food! Expand your usual places and try this place! I love how the Mixed Rice Beef bowl has so many flavored and has both warm and cold items in 1 bowl.
(5)Andrew C.
Having a good korean restaurant in Alameda is a great idea but this place falls short of filling that need. 3 stars for its bibimbap and dumplings. What might characterize your experience is that you'll receive a decent sized bibimbap with a good variety on veggies. But it's probably something that you could have done at home. What sticks out is there is no stone pot that is given (or even the option). The rice is not hot or crispy. And... there isn't a fried egg, which is crucial. Food tasted alright, but then again, dousing food with spicy sauce solves most things right? This place has compromised a few too many things to turn korean food into some chipotle style korean food.
(3)Yu Cheng H.
I was visiting this store today.Many Korean ppl come to here . Food is nice. Service ppl also very nice.
(4)Victor G.
BB Bowl isn't the only korean option in alameda. there's also 88 Sports Bar & Grill. looks like every entree is assembled at the counter from the ingredients therein. menu: bukbokki(spicy sweet rice cake), jeon(mini meat ball), japchae, kimbap, mandu, bibimbop, bulgogi, soondubu, eats:japchae(7.5) -clear noodles with veggies, beef added on top plus sauce. (mandu sauce) -tasted pretty good, not as good as stir fried japchae -slight aftertaste from mandu sauce. msg? 3.5 stars take outs: -small portion, no banchan comes with entree as is customary with most korean eateries -not a good value, (no banchan) -a few tables available for eat-in.. -quick, friendly service.
(3)Annissa H.
Unexpectedly found BB when I came to the plaza to actually grab Taco Bell. I decided to give this a go instead in an attempt to make the healthier choice. It's like a korean Chipotle. Very minimalistic menu and you can pick and choose veggies as you see through the glass as you watch your dish being put together. As I read from other reviews regarding it as not being "authentic" korean food I would agree. It's like a fast food version of it, but a healthy fast-food. It's fast good except the tofu soup. I had to wait 10-15 minutes for it and it wasn't that good. Really light and bland. The bibimbap was pretty good though. It's much smaller than the typical around you get when you go to sit-down restaurants, but it might have been even smaller than what they give if you dine-in. I did see the dine-in bowls and it might've been bigger than our to-go bowl. They had small kimchee, dried squid and daikon sides in tupperware to go. I wish they gave us more kimchee. One Tupperware of kimchee is enough for one person each. I'm not going to come back for the soup but maybe for the bibimbap when I want a better meal than Taco Bell :p I'm curious to try the geembap. It's only about $4 and change.
(3)Norm Y.
Great alternative to burgers, tacos, pizza, and junk food. Great taste and very healthy. Korean fast food at its best. Plus ramen noodles.
(4)Wataru M.
One of my favorite Alameda food spots. Great quality and portions. I like that they continue to add new menu items. Their new spicy tuna bowl is the current fav for me. Their ramen is not bad either.
(4)Judieann A.
5 stars just for their Tofu Stew. I have to come here to get their beef tofu stew at least once a week. SO GOOD. Their rice bowls are good, not quite as good as getting it from a full service Korean restaurant, but good enough if you are craving it and don't want to leave the island.
(5)D. S.
Eh...Its not that great. I ordered the chicken bowl with everything on it and it was really bland. The chicken was really fatty and the rice was very dry! Not really authentic Korean food either. Very Americanized. I would only go here if I was extremely desperate.
(2)Chris G.
Very friendly staff. Fresh food. They even offer BiBimBop with Hawaiian poke. Maybe not truly authentic, but really tasty. Good for both Korean food beginners and others looking for a slight variation. Definitely coming back!
(4)Yoshika H.
I have to say, I was extremely disappointed with my meal from here last night. We got 3 items to go, beef bowl, tofu stew and chicken curry. Beef in the beef bowl was dry but the worst thing about these 3 dishes was that the rice was hard. It was not cooked correctly -- too little water thus undercooked. And they gave us 3 tiny containers of banchan to split between the 3 dishes. They used to give 3 per each order. At this point the only reason I go there is because it's close, but not sure if its worth coming back here.
(2)Tiffany L.
Some things just make you feel better about things.... Hot soup is one of them. I love a good bowl and I was so busy in my husbands ramen bowl, with its delicious broth, that I am taking my curry chicken to go! I will be back!
(5)Gee M.
I was working across the parking lot and thought I'd give BB Bowl a try. I ordered the beef bowl. Meat was sparse, cold and chewy. Rice not hot either. Kind of a disappointment for $8.00. I would have had more meat in a sandwich at Subway which was next door.
(2)Sunny S.
Was anxiously waiting to try BB bowl for months now, and finally got to try it! It wasn't' what I expected it to be but it was very good! I have to say it's not authentic Korean cusine, but it's sort of a good fast food version of it and priced at a reasonable price. So let's say you work nearby and got only a 30 or 60 mins lunch time and you don't feel like having the usual greasy burgers or Chinese food. Well there you go you got a choice of BB Bowl to go to haha. So let's get down to the food, I ordered the beef bulgogi over rice bowl. So for those of you watching your weight, come here cause it's not greasy and it's a little dry, but anyways I'm not on a diet so I lathered it up with their amazing sweeten hot sauce. The sweeten hot sauce sort of sealed the deal for me haha. As for the atmosphere, very nice decor and furniture and even got some Korean pop music going on oh yea! The service is fast and excellent, the gentlemen there (wish I could of got his name) was very nice and sweet and made sure I was well informed of the Korean food and its differences between the bulgogi beef and the regular beef. So all in all I would go there again when I want to pay for quick grub that's not overpriced!
(5)Cassie S.
My first time here and I am impressed. I got the chicken rice bowl. The chicken was flavorful, veggies were fresh and seasoned. I love the hot sauce that it came with. The meal didn't feel heavy or greasy. Service was fast and friendly. Overall I was satisfied and definitely plan on coming back. Nice addition to alameda lunch options.
(5)John D.
This review has been long over due. I came in during their grand opening, food was bland, overpriced,small portions, and they ran out of ingredients for some apperizers. Come back hoping the food got better, it didnt change. Still overpriced, still bland and small portions. This would normally be a 1 star review but their staff saved them.
(2)Nishone W.
Nothing for a vegetarian! All veggies are soaked in a fish broth. Ramens have meat broth. I really wanted to try this place out, but zero vegetarian/vegan options.
(1)Carlos G.
BB Bowl has been an anticipated addition to the Nob Hill landing shopping center for several months now and I can say (from my first and only visit) that it did not dissapoint ...had the beef bulgogi bowl which consisted of some nice meat with not alot of fat and grissel (is that how grissel is spelled ?!) and some very fresh ingredients including,,,carrott,cucumber,sprouts. For me personally the korean marinade is pretty much spot on like most korean joints, I also ordered the korean dumplings which were also very good ,,,, tender wrap and flavorful filling.Liked those alot! Prices were decent ..I think my bowl was around 9 bucks ,,,it did seem like the folks eating there had larger portions (got mine to go) than I did ....only bummer here. Worth the try all ....
(4)Mey S.
I was very excited to try this place out. I am a groupon addict and they happened to have a deal for it. So I got my sisters and cousin to come test out the menu with me. We were able to order a good verity of dishes between the 4 of us. But we left pretty disappointed. Everything looked amazing but tasted blah. The food was overly sweet and tastes the same. I don't think I'll be back even with a groupon. My taste buds deserves much better.
(1)Jondi M.
$7 for bibimbap and you don't have to leave the island? This place is great for a quick and local meal.
(4)Katie G.
My soondubu came with the tastiest kimchi! The people here are extremely nice too. Love this place!
(5)Me M.
Ugh. Such a huge let down. I was so excited and looking forward to an authentic Korean place on the island. Not sure if it was an off day or maybe the guy behind the counter just wasn't Korean or didn't know Korean cuisine (which is bad bc he should have been taught before starting) but when I asked for banchan he had no clue what that was and they didn't really have much except for some not so great kimchee. There really aren't that many choices and the food is dry, not very flavorful and IMO not very fresh. It's nice to have another choice on the island and I give them props for that and I hope they do well but they just aren't my cup of tea for authentic Korean food when I know I can hop over the bridge and really get real Korean food.
(3)Cynthia A.
A Korean place opened up on the island that's actually pretty good. Waow. Pretty busy as today's the grand opening. Spiciness is on point for Korean food. Affordable and enough choices to choose from. Would recommend and will be back ... soon. EDIT: I wanted to edit this review so I can give a bit more detail. This place is not a sit-down Korean BBQ joint. This is fast Korean food, and as someone who's been to bad fast Korean food places, this one is near the top of being good. The one thing is that this focuses on bibimbap, with a sprinkling of some other options. If this was trying to be like Sorabol (variety of main dishes), then it would be lacking, but it does what it sets out to do very well. The gochujang sauce for the bibimbap is spicy. Like really spicy. Like one container made me start going crazy even as a Korean person spicy. That's a good thing. The toppings are also pretty good. I appreciate seeing the egg strips available ... and how flexible the person who did my order was. I would like to see a little more variety in the toppings (would be cool to see other kimchis, etc) but what they have makes it a good bowl. Bulgogi is also pretty good. A bit on the dry side when I tried it, but still good. I'll be trying out the soondubu next and maybe some of the banchan. Mandu is steamed rather than fried, so that may be on the list next too. :) EDIT2: "I have a feeling the nine reviews ahead of me are from friends/workers there since this place was just so terrible." Orrrrr you just didn't like it and the positive reviewers did, Mr. 2-reviewer from San Pablo. It happens. Just don't knock on the rest of us for personal taste.
(4)Alex L.
I like this place, but mostly just for their chicken curry. There aren't many places with this style of curry that is ready on the spot when I don't have the time to go to a sit-down restaurant. For the other things on their menu--The bibimbap bowl is so-so, but too much lettuce as filler. DO NOT get the ramen, it's basically identical to the packaged stuff you can get at the grocery store, only with veggies and meat thrown in. Overall, this place averages out into "okay."
(3)Michelle W.
I was really looking forward to this place opening. I often grocery shop next door so this is a convenient quick lunch location for me. My husband and I was there last Friday for a quick dinner before seeing friends. I ordered steamed rice, dumplings and side plate of assorted cooked vegetabes (bean sprouts, spinach, picked diakon). He ordered the bulgogi bowl with a side of kimchee. All the food is pre-made and sitting in chafing dishes to stay warm. The food was overall bland, even the hot sauce that I asked for later. I was told they make it in house. I would have rather had sriracha. The dumplings must have been sitting there a long time because even though there were in a steamer with a lid on them the tops of them were very crunchy and hard. The bulgogi bowl was bland and dry. My husband said he's glad he spent the 1.00 to get the kimchee on the side just for some flavor but it really didn't help that much. Very disappointed. I was hoping more for a made to order rice bowl place with flavor.
(2)Grace K.
BB Bowl is hella good! Their menu is simple and easy to read. My favorite is the Dukbokki and the Beef Soondubu! Spicy yet delicious. I have yet to try the bibimbap but I'm sure it's awesome :-) It's the best Korean spot in Alameda! The parking is great and the environment is super welcome and family friendly! Can't wait to come back. 5 STARS!!!
(5)Michele E.
Are you not in the wrong business if you are not interested in giving what the customers want? Unreasonable requests like preparing the food in different ways makes no sense, but to simply ask to heat up the rice noodle before preparing the bowl, is such a legitimate and simple request. It's as easy as throwing the rice noodle in a pan for a minute or two. They actually refused my order, satisfied to lose $$ . Secondly, the sugar content of the sauces are too high. I suggest more flavorful ingredients rather than covering up the existing bland ingredients.
(2)Stephanie S.
BB Bowl is a welcome Korean addition to the Alameda lunch scramble. I really wanted to "love" it, but I really can't go there. I do like it though and will be back when I have a Korean food craving at lunchtime. I think the comparison to a Korean Chipotle is apt. With ready made ingredients, your menu choices are assembled in front of you. The Bi Bim Bap bowl is fine, but not incredible. No raw or fresh fried egg on top - just some ersatz sweetened scrambled egg strips on top to give you that impression. The overall bowl is good, but not great. While I understand that they can't serve a raw egg on top, they could fry one up sunnyside to order so you can have some sticky egg yolk to mix it all up with like other restaurants. But they don't and given that the price for this fast food is about the same as a sit-down restaurant, that's a shame. I've also tried to soft tofu soup - again I had to ask for egg - and it wasn't up to snuff. While it had some nice heat going on, the flavor wasn't as rich or as complex as other soft tofu soups I've had. The seafood seemed fresh, though and it was nice to have a combo of fresh shrimps, oysters and clams. The Kim Chee and Ban chan side dishes are sparse and hardly worth it. Kim chee was not spicy at all. The people there are incredibly nice and helpful however and I really hope they succeed because it is nice to have fresh healthy food options here in Alameda.
(3)Josh L.
Decided to try this without reading any yelp reviews. Needed something quick after running to Home Depot. There were some ppl in the restaurant and the staff was super friendly and helpful. Service was quick and setup is a made to order bar. Ordered curry beef, rainbow beef, japchae and a kimpbap roll. The roll and curry were tasty, portion was okay for price. I agree that some of this stuff you can make at home so it doesn't stand out as go to place. I expected more like bimbap, hot stone dishes which I didn't see on the menu. Maybe will try if they introduce this.
(3)Ed W.
We tried Chap Chae and Beef Bi Bim Bap. It's not super 'authentic' but the flavors were clean and fresh. It felt a bit more 'western' palate focused meaning a bit more bland than I personally want but my wife and kids were happy. It's possibly they didn't put anything spicy in my bowl because of the kids. This is basically a quick service BiBimBap spot so it's not really going to compete against Bowl'd in Berkeley. It's a bit more basic than that style. My biggest ding is that there was no kimchi on my plate. It's hard to think of Korean food without it. I will be back to try the tofu soup and bulgogi and I'll report back.
(4)Matt M.
$10 bucks will get you a chicken curry rice bowl with a coke. Generous portions, average flavor, but fast service. Definitely NOT authentic. Korean fast food.
(3)Angie S.
I've started craving the chicken bowl. I go to this Korean BBQ place in the city and love it, so I was hesitant to branch out near home, but glad I did. My spot in the city just has steamed veggies, but I prefer the bowl here which tastes very fresh. The staff is very friendly and keep me coming back! Wishing you success!
(5)Brianna Z.
As a new business, I will leave this review/feedback and hope the business reads it and takes it to heart - along with all the other yelpers out there. The customer service is wonderful. Now keep in mind I've obviously only been there the one time but the guy helping me was warm, helpful, had a great personality and made honest recommendations to me. I had the bulgogi rice bowl. I got the regular (non spicy one - although I think I'm gonna shoot for spicy next time) and the flavor was AWESOME! I really loved it! I skipped the veggies cuz sometimes I'd rather skip the crunch. Not only that but they want an extra buck for them. Here's my ONLY "beef" (pun intended) ...... my portion was pretty weak. when all was said and done after tax my total was over 9 bucks and by the time I was done eating I wasn't really full. Comfortable, yes. Full, no. I would recommend the business really think about the customer perspective and what's going to keep people coming back. 1. Customer Service - got it in the bag 2. Great tasting food - got it in the bag 3. Great bang for the buck - needs work Truthfully, food joints like Chipotle make portions like yours look bad cuz I spend over a dollar less at Chipotle and have enough left over to eat for lunch the next day. Surely at the cost of rice and beef, especially rice, you can afford an extra scoop of each. Other than that, keep doin what you're doing! looking forward to trying more meals at this place and looking even more forward to turning this into a 5 star review!!
(4)Matthew G.
shockingly this place is pretty good. it looks so americanized and modern when you walk in. like a chipotle of korean food. well almost. not exactly. nevermind its not. the menu is in the back wall and you order. then they bring you the food. the bi bim bap they make right in front of you. thats probably the best thing they have. its fast and easy and pretty cheap. i think $7. dont remember. plenty of food too. also tried the beef tofu soup and seafood tofu soup. seafood was not good. the shrimp still had shells. bleh. and they baby shrimp too. not the right taste. the beef tofu soup was alright. not the best. have to request the egg. and they put it in. not you. the jap chae is the same as the bi bim bap except theres clear noodle instead of rice. an interesting way of doing it. not the traditional way but still tasty. the rice cakes were plentiful and pretty good. lots for about $7 as well. everything around $7-10. id come back for fast food korean. ask for water and they give you your own bottle and cups. some sides come with the tofu like kim cheeeeee and others. not bad. quick cheap easy meal.
(3)S S.
The Rainbow bowl was quite good. Got beef and all toppings over rice. Toppings are all cold but the beef and rice were hot so they balanced out all right. The beef was very flavorful and I'm sure I will reek if garlic later but oh well!! I had intended to get the curry but fortunately the guy in front ordered it and I realized it was a very poor afterthought to their main item. The curry had a frozen vegetable topping that looked very sad compared to the luscious looking toppings on the rainbow bowl. The curry sauce looked very thin. Decent selection of canned and bottles sodas.
(3)Joe C.
Gotta say I'm pretty happy to finally have a good korean food spot to go to in alameda! Lovin it... I been here twice and had there bibim bap, tofu soup, noodles , spicy rice cakes and curry. Evrything was good but i liked the korean style curry and tofu soup best. Portions were good and their prices were really reasonable. Their kimchi was surprising excellent and they give you two other spicy side dishes. Don't forget to ask for raw egg in your soup...which cooks to a nice soft consistency by the time ur ready to eat it.
(5)JM C.
Finally a Korean place in alameda! Well besides the one on Central. Not bad for the price and quality of food. I love the tofu soup and the bimbimbap dish. Will come back! Wish they have more sides though! Finally a decent Korean place in alameda!
(4)Doctor G.
Only Korean restaurant in Alameda. Located in the Nob Hill Foods shopping center, BB Bowl is new, modern and casual Korean dining. You go in and order at the counter. I had the japchae clear noodle dish with beef. Very tasty. Everything looked great here. My only gripe is that the selection is limited, but that's a small price to pay for Korean food in Alameda. Very nice service, good prices, and easy shopping center parking. Stylish design indicates to me that the owner of BB Bowl is a professional.
(3)D H.
This place is pretty stingy with their bibimbap bowl. Restaurants like this need to realize that being stingy for profit will give you temporary profit. With this approach, you will drive customers away. When you create this style of restaurant where you mainly target fast pace customers will little time and are on a budget, you will need to consider portion size relative to the price. However, this place fails to do so just because they care so much about one extra scoop of rice. I ordered a bibimbap bowl when I visited this place. They were super stingy with the rice and seems like they were counting every gram of rice they put into my bowl. It got so bad that they scooped some of it from my bowl back out. -__- Anyways, I asked for more rice and the server scooped a small fraction into my bowl. After that day, I told myself not to go back. I am not sure if they changed yet but they failed on their first impression. For future restaurant owners out there, don't be stingy when it comes to these type of foods. This is not gourmet foods so don't be shy to scoop more rice for your customers.
(2)Caroline T.
Happen to pass by and decided to try the bulgogi rice bowl during my visit up to Norcal. I'm from socal where we have plenty of korean restaurants. This place is legit. The bulgogi rice bowl was flavorful, veggies were fresh, and most importantly, spicy enough! Service was prompt and i thought the portions were generous and price was appropriate. Wish they had one in socal!
(5)Steven W.
5 star for simple menu. Great price. Very clean facility looks new. Friendly staff. Delicious food. Chose this over subway because I'm sick and need something warm, but I will definitely be coming back.
(5)Debi S.
The first day it was open we showed up and they had run out of food before dinner time so we figured that was a good sign and decided to try again. Our second trip there was a lot more successful. I'm not very familiar with Korean food so I cannot speak of it's authenticity, but after having the Bulgogi bowl I can definitely vouch for its tastiness. My boyfriend had the soft tofu veggie soup and it was very good, very spicy. The service is a little spotty, but just what you might expect of a place that JUST opened, I think in a few weeks it will smooth out. Overall good experience.
(4)Brett D.
Flavor was there , but the beef was so fatty and gristly which made me not enjoy it. The rice was also very dry. Don't think we will return.
(2)Mark H.
I think this place is very well planned out and the food is super. Unlike other Korean restaurant, this is more like an eatery and it focuses solely on BimBiBab. This means the ingredients are always fresh since they don't have to manage so many different menu items. The service is fast and friendly. The place is clean and chic. My complaint is that there's simply not a lot of options to choose from. You either get the BB Bowl or the tofu soup. I wish they also include a Korean BBQ dish as well. But I enjoyed the food and will definitely be back.
(4)Josh B.
Been here a couple of times. Clean, fast, inexpensive, but very tasty. Love the food, will keep going!
(5)Kris S.
This place would get 10 stars if yelp let me. If you're in the area looking for a fast take out meal or even to dine in, this is the spot. It's pretty inexpensive, the food tastes great, and the workers are so genuinely kind. I would for real have a beer with them lol. You come in and pick what you want and they pack a bowl right there for you. You can be in and out with a fat bowl of rice meat and vegetables in less than 5 minutes. Not to mention way healthier than other options that are that quick. Also I eat A LOT, the super danios burrito at la penca azul, I tackle that down no issue...but it's not even that the bowl is too much but it's so filling. If you're going to lift in the gym and need to get a solid meal and have no time, this again is the place. Gives you loads of energy to work out. Also the workers again, they're so kind. They great you as soon a you walk in with a smile like they're genuinely happy to see you. Really overall great experience and I wish this business the best of luck. Now for all the people bitching that it's not real Korean food, you know, it does the damn trick. But then you all go to chipotle and Chevys and call it Mexican. Quit being so stuck up, see it for what it is. A healthier alternative to fast food that doesn't taste bland or bad. I think for the price, time, portions, and service...they're doing a perfect job.
(5)Deniz M.
I technically give this place a 3.5. They are known what they are known for: the rice bowI. I ordered the beef rice bowl, dukbokki, and the kimbap, all which came to a price of about $20.20. Was it worth it? Yes and no. The portions of the rice in the rice bowl were a bit small. Even after mixing it i felt like i ended up eating vegetables and meat. The beef wasn't great but it wasn't bad. The kimbap was the same thing not great but not bad. As for the dukbokki you might want to order it with some toppings like the chicken and cheese, out of the places i've tried that had dukbokki it was kind of bland. I give the place the 0.5 for the service! I was welcomed with smiles and they even guided me through the menu since it was my first time. And even after I got my food we even had a bit of small talk! One of the employees even gave me a can of the korean soda as a little treat with my meal, I really felt like I was treated well
(4)Rodrigo B.
If I could give 0 stars I would. They were super slow, and it looked like no one knew what they were doing. They would reorganize all the toppings as they put them on and there was no flow to their process. The servers kept bumping into each other. The order process was backwards. If you wanted soup, you had to wait in line and order at the register. Why not take the soup orders while the customer waits? Also, the portions were extremely small. I'm not a big eater and a burrito bowl at chipotle will last me 2-3 meals and fill me. One bowl here costs more than a burrito bowl there and felt like a snack to me. The seafood soup contained 2 tiny clams and 3 tiny shrimp. It had no flavor at all. It tasted like sriracha and water. The bulgogi bowl was bland, dry and cold. EDIT: Perhaps they thought they had to match to taste of their food with the street they are located on? (Blanding Ave.) They didn't even give any Kim chi! Every other Korean place I've eaten at always included that! This is a Korean restaurant, no? I have a feeling the positive reviews ahead of me are from friends/workers there since this place was just so terrible. Terrible tasting food, terrible service, terrible portions, terrible price.
(1)suzanne l.
Fast, convenient, and yummy! The beef tofu soup is my go-to. Also, I love that they offer brown rice. Really glad to have a quick spot to get my Korean fix!
(4)Bobbi F.
I went here when it first opened and it was just so, so. I am so happy I gave it a second chance. I had the chicken curry bowl and it was delicious. The prices are great too. If you are looking for fresh food whether cold or hot, you will love this place. I plan on making this my go to place for fast Korean food.
(5)Matt T.
A little bit of the standard items in a bibimbap bowl, such as choice of meat (I got beef), mushrooms, lettuce, carrots and cucumber, strips of cooked egg. It tasted good, but portions were woefully small considering the price was around $8 for this. I felt like I could have eaten twice as much, so this was somewhat disappointing.
(3)Peter H.
We came for lunch and ordered the beef bibimbap and seafood soft tofu soup. The soup has nice fresh ingredients. The seafood, especially the shrimp, tasted fresh. We ordered the mild and it was good. The bibimbap was tasty and the sauce was the right amount of spicy. I agree that is not a Korean"restaurant" but I'm happy to find good and we'll prepared food in Alameda. It's not cheap, but worth the price. The people were very nice and helpful. We will tell our friends!
(4)michael s.
Very good family run place. good food, good price. go to this place!
(5)Carlos V.
Tasty and light with spicy options, this is a great substitute for boring corporate fast food joints.
(3)Daniel A.
The chicken bowl was excellent! Generous portion, great price, and terrific flavor. Happy to have a healthy option in town.
(4)Samuel L.
Strip down korean fast food with not much character. Small portion on the rice cake. So regret that I was there.
(1)Joo A.
I tried both Bibimbop and Japchae. Very clean, fresh and delicious!!!!! Also great customer service!!!! Very reasonable price!! :)
(5)kathy s.
Stopped in for early dinner on Saturday, about 4PM. It was empty at that time and the man at the counter was very welcoming and very pleasant. I noticed also how clean the place was. I am not familiar with Korean food so I didn't have any personal favorite Korean meal to compare with. I had the Rainbow Rice Bowl with tofu and all the vegetables that they offered. The only optional item I left off was egg because I only wanted tofu for protein. I also can't eat spicy right now (darn !) and so had mild sauce choices. The man at the counter was so helpful and nice, and helped me select the sauce. I really love healthy meals in a bowl with lots of veggies and different temperatures and textures of food (warm rice, cold veggies) and not overpowered by the sauce. This was so fresh and so satisfying, I just loved it. It was no sacrifice at all to pass up the other eateries in that shopping center. I will be back for sure. I will try some of the other items.
(4)Daniel T.
Stopped by and got the BB Bugolgi bowl. It was very tasty and enough portion of meat but could have been a bigger portion of rice. Veggies will run you another $1.50 for this bowl, but is included with other bowls. Overall prices were great (except for the bulgogi)/ workers were extremely friendly and lines went fast. Highly recommend for a quick bite. Seats are available for party of 4 or 5.
(4)Chopstick P.
Food is good for fast good but too much $$$ for the small portion. I paid about $8 for the rainbow beef rice bowl to go. all I get is a tiny bit of rice, barely any beef (beef are pre-cooked) and few veggie topping. I advise you to get all the veggie topping or else you will end up with a super small portion of rice and beef in a bowl.
(2)Vera P.
I have always been crazy for Bibimbap, so I was eager to check the newest add to the Korean food scene on the Island City. After peering in the windows and seeing many happy customers chomping down huge bowls of Korean food can I say "well done "? I was not disappointed. The beef bowl was spicy and tasty. More then generous. Although it was not a home cooked taste, I found it satisfying and reasonably priced. Remarkably good. Because I had an mishap with my order earlier in the day my server, Dave, in particular, went out of his way to be helpful. That alone will keep me coming back for more items off the varied menu of appetizers, soup and rice bowls. Did I mention they have vegan options? Check out this welcome edition to Alameda.
(4)Jina C.
My first visiting to bb bowl!! I ordered bibimbap and soondubu. Both of them were delicious. I could choose ingredients by my own taste. Bibimbap is very healthy and light meal. And soondubu is very deep and addictive flavor.
(5)M L.
I enjoyed my visit to BB bowl for the first time. Was very excited to see a Korean restaurant in Alameda. This place reminds me of Korean Panda Express. They have all the ingredients ready to make your dish except for the Tofu soup. We ordered the Mandu, Kim Bap, Beef Rice bowl and Beef Tofu soup. The Kim Bap which is Korean California roll was good however the meat was hot dogs instead of strips of beef which was surprising to me. The Beef Rice bowl was delicious and the Beef Tofu spicy soup was amazing! The Beef Tofu soup had to be made in the back of the restaurant. Taken about 5 to 10 minutes to be made. It came with 3 side dishes (ban chan) and bowl of rice. Would definitely recommend this place to others. It is quick and simple meal and good size portions.
(4)Tom B.
BB BOWL KOREAN CUISINE is a Korean restaurant located in the shopping mall, anchored by Nob Hill supermarket. This shopping mall is situated at the southeast edge of Alameda Island. BB BOWL provides service at a counter, where guests can choose from a small menu that features main courses: Bi Bim Bap with beef, chicken, or tofu; (2) Rice curry bowl; (3) Bulgogi, (4) Ramen noodle soup with either chick or beef; and (5) Soft tofu soup ("soondubu"). Te menu also includes appetizers (dukbokki, japchae, kimbap, mandu, and porridge), as well as beverages. When you order at the counter, the owner assembles the components of your dish in front of you, and service is essentially immediate. The cost of the main dishes are low, about seven dollars. The meal is provided in porcelain bowls. Although the portions are not large, please also note that the cost is very low. The meal is tasty, and I was pleased that my bi bim bap was garnished with generous amounts of pungent sesame oil. (I am a sesame oil freak). For those interested in a more substantial Korean meal, you would need to drive to one of the grimier locations in Oakland, that is, on Telegraph Avenue, or alternatively, drive eastwards along Broadway to the vicinity of College Avenue. (For a more substantial Korean meal, you would have to pay twice as much, of course.) The meals at BB BOWL KOREAN CUISINE are more like lite-suppers than full blown meals. The restaurant provides only one kind of kim chee. PRESENTATION. The graphics and decor inside of BB BOWL KOREAN CUISINE are tasteful and intelligent. The chopsticks are wooden, and I am glad of this. They are high quality chopstick made of wood that is thick and sturdy (not the usual cheap chopsticks found at almost all other Asian restaurants). The owner is cheerful and polite. The parking in the huge shopping mall parking lot in front is abundant.
(4)Jason Y.
Please try!!!
(5)casey j.
The staff is very nice and the place is clean. I thought the bb rice bowl was slightly small portion. the soup is also small for $11. Uh, I don't know about this place.
(2)Hkv N.
cool spot. I got the rainbow rice bowl with chicken; it had a lot of vegetables, not too much chicken, decent amount of rice. It came out to about 9 dollars. Decently priced. Like others have said, its not "authentic" per say, but its alright.
(4)Renee S.
I came during their grand opening and wanted to try their bulgogi and their appetizers. When I was ready to order, they took a while to take my order because they were talking and looked really confused on what to do. I tried ordering their appetizers but each time they told me there was no more. So I just ordered bulgogi. I was really disappointed when I saw it. The portion of it was so small, it was like a meal for an ant. It tasted okay, not as great as other Korean places. Sadly, I left the restaurant hungry still and I had to buy food from somewhere else. I felt like I wasted money ordering from here, it really wasn't worth it. Giving it one more try, hopefully they will get better.
(1)Lindsay F.
The food is good and different than anything else being offered up in Alameda right now. It's a great quick and fresh lunch or dinner option. I'm really happy to have BB Bowl in town.
(4)Elma B.
This was my first time trying this restaurant, the service was great, BUT the food wasn't worth the $9. The employee who suggested the Rainbow rice bowl recommended this dish, rice, choice of meat (very little placed on top of the rice) and the veggies were cold. It reminds me of a "fast food" Korean restaurant, the inside of the restaurant is clean, BUT the food was disappointing.
(1)