Johnson Z.

How do I give zero stars? We went here for lunch and found caterpillar in the tofu stew. When we brought to the waitress's attention, she said that these things happen in restaurants. She did not think it was a big deal. Wtf?!? ***8/7/2015: Update of the above review*** The owner of this restaurant reached out to me directly to apologize for this situation. His response to the worm is: "Please understand that we grow most of our produce organically in our own gardens. Although we meticulously go through all our produce to ensure quality, since no pesticides are used, it looks like this little grub got past our inspection. I assure you that the grub will not to any bodily harm to you." I appreciate the owner reaching out to me directly to explain this situation and it really meant a lot. He also offered us a discount for our next meal, which I politely declined as that was NOT my intention when I posted this review. I was just mad and frustrated by the waitress's attitude towards us. I hope that the owner will offer better training to his staff to avoid situations like this in the future.
(3)
Scott C.

Waited for 5 mins at the door staring at the menu. We even rang the bell and the bus boy walked past us. The lady by the tables didn't even acknowledge us. For this ridiculous price at least have good service. No wonder there were only two tables filled Won't be coming back.
(1)
Food Finder G.

Beware ! 6 or more diners will be charged 18% tip! I don't mind this if they let you know ahead of time . The tiny sign is by the cashier and by your lower leg level which no one sees because you pay at the table. Service was ok though. They put us in the little room so they don't come around as much. So getting their attention was a challenge. I was pissed and confronted the server that she should have notified us regarding the tip before we sat down . She said sorry and said next time . Next time ? Sorry...There won't be . On to the food : Soondubu - bland . No taste Galbitong - good Bibimbap - ok nothing to brag about
(2)
Kim D.

We had a big party here and were able to reserve both of their private dining rooms. There are not many places in Irvine that have rooms, so it's nice that these each fit about 15 or so people. The food was great for the price since we were able to order lunch specials for all of our guests. They liked the kalbi and bulgogi and dak bulgogi a lot. The bibimbap is good as well. I had no complaints about the service here whatsoever. The servers were very accommodating and they worked really hard to fulfill the needs of our guests. Yu was especially helpful in making the reservation and assuring the food and service were great. We had a really good experience dining at Korea House, still a classic place to get good Korean food for lunch.
(5)
Ashley W.

NOTE: they don't take the free coke/sprite coupon they have listed on yelp. I chose to come to this kbbq instead of others for that reason alone and they said they couldn't give it to me -_- Ok I came at around 8:20pm and saw that they had a poster that said lunch price of $15.99 after 8:50pm so I was like damn I'm going to have to wait, but I mentioned it to the workers and the korean lady was nice enough to give me that price at 8:20pm. Which is probably the ONLY reason why I'm giving this place 3 stars instead of 2. LOL Because the servers were nice. BUT I do not recommend coming here. They have HORRIBLE SERVICE. Not in the "oh she's rude af" way but the type where THEY DON'T SERVE YOU AT ALL. I literally had to ask a thousand times for everything. SO ANNOYING -_- They literally seat you and take your order and barely come back after that. There wasn't even anyone else really in the restaurant smh. Probably the cheapest kbbq in irvine you're going to find at this time though. The meat/egg/etc. aren't shitty though. The food is pretty decent, but you will def get full just WAITING for your food to come!!!
(3)
Robin C.

COME AFTER 8:50pm on weekdays to get the lunch special price of 15.99!!! PLUS they do not acknowledge the yelp offer for a free coke or sprite!!! Arrived on a Wednesday night with my starving beast of a gf at approximately 8:20pm and the lady said it was fine that she would give us the lunch special price. Thank God or us being the cheap ass college students we are would have prolly waited outside in the cold till it hit 8:50. Overall restaurant wasn't crowded at all. There were bout 2 other parties in the whole restaurant. This is the reason why I don't understand the poor service. They had 3 employees working. Only one of the ladies seemed like she cared a rats ass bout serving us. The meat came out really slow and we had to keep asking for simple things including rice paper or sauce. I really hope it wasn't a language barrier but looking at past reviews I ain't the first to complain. The only thing that is saving this place from getting less stars is the steamed egg. I judge these basic kbbq spots by the egg. This place had BOMB eggs. Only if the waitress brought out more like I asked for. The meat was decent. I've had way worse quality meat. At least they put the meat on the plate in a cool hip way for better pictures for instagram! So in the end come here if you Tryna save money in Irvine. Just beware you will have to work for it to get your food! IG: robeanoo
(3)
Michael K.

This is no way to run a restaurant. Food is mediocre and the service was abysmal despite not being that busy and having plenty of wait staff around.
(2)
Sophia Y.

Sister said that this place had slow service and not so great service. She said her last server was passive aggressive and rude. I ate here today with her and our family. Service was slow and not very attentive even when we were one of the 2-3 groups here. The sauces that came out were bland until they refilled them. A lot of the meat was very bland.. The galbi was okay though. Brisket, not so much. Side dishes were okay. Server literally slammed/threw the grill down when she replaced it and sighed, wtf. This place is MEH. This is like the Walmart of kbbq restaurants.
(1)
Aaron E.

Korea House makes the grade for Kbeebz in west Irvine. This restaurant has sat proudly in the same Uni Park/Turtle Rock location for decades and it took me until last week to finally walk in to kill a seemingly insatiable Kbeebz fiending. The reviews are all over the place, so I kind of threw Yelp out the window and walked in with an open mind and I liked what I experienced. The service could be interpreted as a bit gruff, but considering that I came to packed house on a Friday night I think they were concentrating on the crowd, which suited me just fine. The Kbeebz comes in 3 separate price points. A $15.99 base level is available off peak hours and seemed like the smart money had I not come during prime time. There was also a $24.99 premium level, which seemed overly fanciful for me so the $19.99 mid range option got the nod and offered all the usual KBBQ suspects and even some fun alternatives (Spicy Brisket, anyone?). The Bulgogi was definately on point as was the marinated Short Ribs and the aforementioned Spicy Brisket. Meat quality was fair, if not good considering the cost of admission and remember it is AYCE after all. The banchan dishes were all fresh and quite flavorful, no complaints on the small dishes from me. The Kimchi was a touch sweet but still very paltettable and I just realized I totally forgot to ask for my personal fave bantam, moogunchi. Damn, that is regrettable but moving forward... The fact that a Korean based menu was able to survive west Irvine's culinary dark ages alone is a gigantic feat to be proud of. Add in ownership changes and the sudden competition arriving en masse over the last 5 years and one has to admire Korea House's tenacity if nothing else. With reasonable prices and a quality product, they can count on my return.
(4)
Christine C.

Seven of us came here tonight for dinner and ordered six to seven dishes. All the dishes were disappointing. They were either too sweet or too salty and had no real flavor. I don't expect Irvine Korean restaurants to be comparable to the ones in LA but this restaurant is definitely sub-standard when it comes to taste. On the other hands I give 4 stars for service. Our waitress was friendly though she didn't offer to do anything about it when we told her the food was too sweet or too salty.
(2)
Chad S.

They got rid of the multiple lunch special board and replaced it with a smaller selection of two items pet day. So it still is there, but less selection. And this is not to be confused with the lunch menu at the table which are $8.99 to $13.99 which to me is basically normal menu prices (regardless of them calling it lunch specials. If you are selecting from the cheaper menu it is still a very good deal at $6.99. But the regular lunch menu is expensive - thus 3 stars now.
(3)
Paul H.

I was thinking of getting the AYCE for 19.99 but the reviews here scared me into getting something else. So I got the Galbi tang (beef rib soup) and it was delicious! One of the best soups I've had in a while. Service was ok. I went at 9pm so it wasn't very crowded. The restaurant floors were pretty dirty though so I have to take off a star for that.
(4)
Marko C.

From four stars to one star! Beware: The restaurant has had a change of ownership and the quality of food and service levels are significantly different. I came to the Korea House about 9 months ago (Sept 13) with 25 of my colleagues. We had a really good time, as the food quality was nice and the service was good. A new change has come, and I don't know if I like it.... I literally had to call the restaurant 6+ times to get someone to pick up the phone and to make a reservation. I again brought 25 of my friends to this restaurant to have a celebration, and I have to admit that I was a bit embarassed about the food quality and service. We all ordered the $19.99 choice AYCE dinner. The food: As you can see from the new 6+ pictures that I posted about the food, they serve lower than average quality products. The meats are not only poor quality, but mismatched. The portions are very small and skimpy (notice the tempura combo for 5 people was small). The low quaity of food was consistent across almost all orders of Kalbi, bulgogi, boneless kalbi, tempura, spicy pork, squid, etc. The service: With the 25 of us in the private room, we had 1.5 workers assigned to our tables. The waitress was quite stressed out with the number of people at the table and it surely showed in her service levels. *Funny thing is that after I paid the entire bill for 25 of my guests, she was the sweetest pie ever! She asked how our meal was, if we had a nice time, etc... Despite her poor service, I gave her a 20% tip. She didn't deserve it, but I understand that she has to make a living. Every 6-9 months, I bring a group of about 25 people back to the restaurant. This is 25 NEW customers for the restaurant to add to their clientele list. I don't know if I'll be returning to the Korea House anytime soon, if they don't clean up their food quality and service issues. Food Grade: D- Service Grade: D- Worth the Money Grade: D- Overall Impression: D-
(1)
Jeffrey C.

Service, service, service! Hey if the food sucks at least get your service down. Only thing good here is their ban chans that the owner kept giving us saying its grown from her backyard. Dinner for 6 or more automatically adds gratuity. The waitresses are so slow and inconsiderate!
(1)
Judy B.

Love Korean BBQ and this is one of my favorites! Fast service and delicious food! The side dishes are great and plenty and the servers are friendly!
(5)
Jesse C.

Not bad at all. Sure the service can improve a tad but the quality of meat was good. Even my mom who is quite critical of the quality of meats at places like these said she liked it. I liked the chardobeggi(?) and pork slices the best. The sirloin and L.A. galbi was pretty decent too. We ordered some soups like tofu and kimchi jiggae and tejang jigga and all had the right and good flavor to them. The banchan was okay, nothing special but I liked the kimchi. Overall, I liked this place and will come back if I was in Irvine again.
(4)
Rob C.

korean food and korean bbq is limited in irvine. this means subpar food and service will still garner steady clientele. i've been here a couple of times and thought it was OK. we came here this last time w/ a larger group and my bro in law treated us. i hate to complain about a free meal so i'll try and keep this one short. all 6 adults had the ayce for lunch, the $20 meal. the kalbi was the best. the spicy squid was ok, not great. the bulgogi was sorta bland. the pork belly, although fresh had a slight off putting taste to it like it was handled on the cutting board right after the intestines were chopped on it. the brisket was fatty but i'm ok w/ that. the banchans were pretty good and the salad was tasty. service is slow. they also ran out of the rice paper wraps, which was annoying. overall ok and decent for irvine. the free Thrifty's, self serve ice cream was nice.
(3)
Jennifer Y.

Don't be fooled by PAID REVIEWS AND STARS!!! If it's all right with you to wait 10~15 minutes for your order of meat refills while your grill burns by itself until it gets so black you can't even cook on it - then you have to wait another 10 minutes for your grill to be changed, and having to ask a cleaning staff for the water to be refilled because the serving staff cannot be found even thou you push that button every minute, dine here by all means. I brought my son for dinner meat buffet a little before 9. After I had one plate of meat, I was asked if I wanted my bill. The place wadn't even busy.. four tables and three servers. For $19.99 per person, there are plenty of other restaurants where they would be glad to serve me. I finally left after an hour, having consumed three plates of meat (two of them had one piece of meat each), walked to the cashier's desk and paid $43.18 (no tip, and to my surprise, the server showed up to take my money right away out of nowhere). I had to take my still-not-full 14-year-old to another place to be fed again. I am sorry I was trying this place out. I am never going back.
(1)
Mike M.

This place is horrible! The service is so bad that we just wanted to leave but felt bad because we ordered already. They are so mean its unreal. We felt like we were bothering the waitress because she was so angry with us. She slammed the cups of water down splashing me with it and did not even bat an eye. I hope to God this place goes out of business because we sure as hell will never eat here again. I guess the only time i would recommend this crappy rude place is if you are full Korean blood and you really want to eat some mediocre food close to Irvine. Otherwise.... RUN... Don't walk... RUN!!!!!!!!!
(1)
Jeannie C.

Came back here after years. This place has seen so many different owners the past couple years. The first owner was ok, the next owner chose bad cuts of meat but had really good late night fried chicken and finally this last owner is so so. The meat quality is slightly better and they now have steak tenderloins but they over cook it and even if you do eat it it's really chewy and rubbery. Their think beef brisket (chadol) is pretty good as well as their samgyupssal. Their side dishes that come out with the meal is somewhat poor. Some other places have better side dishes. The service had gotten slightly better but still kind of poor. For the amount you spend here I'd rather look for a better kbbq place in Irvine than here that charges the same but for better quality meat. If you want kbbq that's really good look for one that has a lot of people. They know what they're doing lol.
(2)
M K K.

nership at Korea house. The food is okay not the best but the prices has gone super high. The quality of the beef is cheap. The only good thing are the side dishes. Here's a tip... if you pay in cash you would receive a 5% discount of the total bill. Awesome. That means no debit card as well.... cold cash
(1)
Jae K.

I don't usually write reviews on yelp because no places have angered me enough to do so, but this place really bothered me today. I went in lunch time and ordered prime back rib soup, galbi tang, which was for $9.99. Price was reasonable given that this is Irvine, but the quality was terrible. The meat they gave us looked like its been eaten by MULTIPLE customers and being reused. There was meat to be eaten, but tiny scraps of fats thats stuck to the bone. You can definately tell they either took off the meat to use for something else, or they really gave it to a customer already. Dont bother coming to this place.. not worth the money. This is really unreasonable. I wouldnt mind paying little more to get actual meat. They really need to step up the game because they will not last long. Very very disappointed.
(1)
Cheryl D.

Good lunch place, food was good. Servers were a little too busy to take care of their tables. Lunch combo portion is big, good for two people to share. The tofu soups are very tasty.
(4)
Won Y.

I placed a "to-go" order over the phone for a couple of dishes. I had not tried this place before and I was looking forward to getting some Korean food. I was told that it would be about 15 minutes. I got there about 20 minutes after I placed the order, thinking that it would be a quick stop. At 5:15pm on Sunday, there weren't too many people, but it took them at least 5 min to greet me as there was no one at the front. I was told that the food wasn't ready and that I would need to wait for a few more min. No worries, I thought. To make the long story short, I waited for another 25 min. The place wasn't even busy and no one had stopped by to see how was doing or to give me an update. I was getting frustrated so I was about to cancel the order and head home, but it was only then the food game out, 45 minutes after I placed the order on the phone. When I picked up the food, there were no apologies, no explanations, nothing. The service was just really terrible. Terrible, terrible, terrible. As for the food, it was okay - nothing special.
(1)
J L.

Don't expect to receive any attention from the servers. Doesn't matter how many times you pressed the bell, or how badly the grill burned , the servers don't come to your table until you ask for the bill ... I managed to finish less than half of my meal. This place demands great patience from its customers. I won't ever dine here again...
(1)
Ernest H.

It's currently 9:13pm and we were turned away. They just told us they were closed, despite their signs clearly stating that they close at 10pm.
(1)
Teresa O.

I'm a stickler for good customer service. So when I experience great service, I praise them to high heavens, write a glowing review about it , and even go out of my way to write to the company so they can acknowledge a particular employee or their staff. But I react with similar intensity when I receive bad service. I'm a firm believer that people should not be in any business where you interact with customers if you are unable to provide good service. I've been to Korea House twice and while their establishment doesn't have much of an ambience and the service has always been so-so, I still patronized them because of the proximity to my house. However today I truly regretted coming here . It started out ok. We came in and were seated promptly and were given glasses of water (so I suppose they deserve that 1 star instead of 0 stars). Then 20 mins pass and no one even bothered to come and get the grill started or ask if we were ready to order. Yet servers were passing us by. We would've been ok waiting if someone would've acknowledged our presence and said "we'll be right with you" . So we decided to push the call button (which I usually never do). But we've waited long enough and we were starving. After 3 mins, someone finally comes over and asks "order ?" And I happily respond, "yes we are ready to order ." Then she puts the menus up the ledge, turns around, and leaves. We all looked at each with a "what exactly happened here look". Then I see 2 servers approach the 2 tables next to us, diners who arrived AFTER us. That was the last straw. I cannot stand rudeness and blatant disregard for customers who especially have been trying to wait patiently . We stood up to leave and that's when they suddenly took notice of us. On our way out, one of the servers decided to make things worse by saying something in Korean which by the look she gave us, I'm pretty sure was not anything nice. But this is Irvine and fortunately we have choices. We found another Korean BBQ place with a much nicer and cleaner atmosphere. And most importantly , the service was quick, efficient , friendly, and attentive . Deserving of a good review. As for Korea House, this will be one restaurant that I will never set foot in and I will certainly NOT be recommending this place to anyone. Dining out should be a pleasant experience , go where you can have an enjoyable meal.
(1)
Steve O.

Came here for dinner a few nights ago and got the $25 premium AYCE (All You Can Eat). The quality of meat that our party ordered was very good! We got the brisket, thinly sliced pork, LA galbi, rib meat, large intestine, and a few more that I don't recall at the moment. I also really liked the soups and side dishes that are included with the meal. Most other Korean bbq places I've been to lack in the quality of salads/side dishes but Korea house doesn't disappoint. The reason this got a 4 star review vs. a five was because of the service. Although the service was excellent throughout the meal, there must have been a shift change or something happening in the kitchen because when it was time to get our check, pay, and leave, there wasn't a single waitress/waiter to be found. Then some weird man with highlights in his hair helped ring us out (creepy-looking/acting dude= 4 stars)
(4)
Sai S.

The service here are really slow and they'll just walk by you... The waitress chase me down because of the tip i left, they wanted you to put down the SUGGESTED 15% tip. I put down half of it because of poor service and it wasn't that busy lunch time, i had no choice and put the whole 15%. But the quality of the meat i give 4/5 stars for it.
(1)
Wnll K.

Ok, so I decided to give Korea House_Irvine a try for an early Saturday dinner. My friend and I went there and got the 19.99 all you can eat K bbq....yummy...so I thought. The server insisted strongly that we get the garlic pork belly. I said no thanks and ordered few beef dishes. She regardless brought over the pork belly. Guess the server was trying to fill us up with the cheap stuff. I get it. Whatever...but this was just the beginning of my disappointment. To make long story short, the meat was bad and service even worse. All you K folks who play golf at Strawberry Farm...I advise you...do no go to this god awful place! Thank you and wish you happy dining.
(1)
Alan T.

I have no idea why this restaurant gets so much praise. Maybe if the owner's knew you and were much more attentive to your table, your experience would be much better than mine. This place is not that cheap for what it's serving. This is a small restaurant with a couple of private rooms but mostly booths. "Service" at each table is helped by a button attached to the wall perpendicular to your table. But dont get your hopes up, the service is nowhere near on demand. Of course, expect the typical AYCE charges for not finishing the plates. Keep in mind the "lunch menu" ends much earlier than they claim. When I entered in with a group of friends we were assured that we could order off the lunch menu but when we started ordering all of a sudden we had to order off the more expensive dinner menu. We avoided making a bigger commotion by just agreeing to pay extra, mind you it was before 4pm when we started to order. Ah the food, well it sure beats college cafeteria food but don't expect anything fancy. The squid marinade is bland and the squid itself had no taste of squid, close your eyes and you could be eating a piece of tough chicken in your mouth. The bulgogi is decent, nothing to rave about, and same goes for the vegetable tempura, Angus, flank, even the rice was compacted and a bit too dry. The only dish that I considered tasty was the brisket, then again if a korean BBQ restaurant can't even get that right it shouldn't be called a korean BBQ. Kimchi and the little appetizers that come with the meal are decent at best. Beware that the first item on the lunch and dinner menu can only be ordered again after everyone finishes the previous plate. It'll say on the bottom of the menu. Now the biggest reason I never want to come back: the service. Sit down on a slow afternoon Sunday and expect to wait 15 minutes for someone to take your order, another 15 for just a few dishes to arrive at your table, and to never see your waitress again afterwards. No checking if I I needed refills on water or if we were ready for the next batch of BBQ. I had to raise my hand ever single time whether it was a refill, or more food, or even chopsticks! How can a restaurant forget to set the table? There weren't even forks for us to use. And there wasn't a single time our waiter came to my table without me waving her down first. Things got so bad I could see another table have to send someone to the front counter just to receive their dessert order. And once when I ordered a refill on water the waitress gave me the good ol "I don't have time for you" look and just shoved a pitcher of water on our table, unprofessional. The stove is also terrible in that it's right above your legs so try not to raise your legs or you might get burned. In addition the stove dispels all the burning fat and meat onto your clothes because there isn't any kitchen fans above the table or smell guard on the cooker itself. And yes I've been at Korean restaurants where I don't smell nearly as pungent as this one after my meal. My Recommendation: -only get brisket and maybe some porkbelly Better yet just don't go here and try Gen Korean bbq House. Similar price but world's better. Two locations with one in Tustin.
(2)
Anthony C.

For lunch special: A pretty good deal on marinaded chicken, spicy pork, and cold noodles at $6.50. Comes with decent banchan... I'm partial to their fishcake here and almost all places. Kimchi was kind of weird and not really "kimchi - ish". Not sure how to describe it. A group of 4 of us got 2chicken, 1 spicy pork, 1 cold noodle (all pretty good and no complaints) and it should have came out to be about $28 with tax... instead the bill was marked at $35 and stupid me I wrote out the tip before I caught the error. Oh well. Just beware about them trying to make a mistake or something especially on the lunch special. Good deal though, and pretty decent food for the price. Will be back to see if they mess up again and if the food's still good.
(4)
Evan L.

The other day I decided to stop at this restaurant on my way home from Laguna. My girlfriend and I both got the all you can eat barbecue. The quality of the food was pretty good. Not the best Korean barbecue I've had, but it was tasty and they had nice variety and lots of good sides. On the downside, the service was really awful. When we were there, the restaurant wasn't particularly busy. I wouldn't say more than half full. We had to ring our service button three to four times to get a waiter to come by and just refill our drinks. It also took a really long time - at least twenty minutes - before we even got our initial sides and our drinks. I would really recommend going to another restaurant that has better quality food as well as much better service. All the other Korean barbecue restaurants I've been to have similar quality or better quality food and much, much better service at about the same price. It seems like $18-$25 is pretty standard for all you can eat Korean, and I've really had much better luck other places. Not horrible, but I really wouldn't recommend this restaurant in particular.
(3)
trina l.

I used to come here all the time with my friends and we loved the food. After today I WILLL NEVER come back again!!!! The menu has changed, the service is horrible and the food quality is not the same. I didn't like how everything was different tasting and refills never came and the grill had to be changed out, but no one ever came unless I went and asked for it!!!!
(1)
Audrey N.

Big fan of their cold bucket noodle, simple and tasty. Service? What service do they have here? lol, one server for about 10 tables. She doesn't come to you unless you hunt her down. She doesn't take you to your table unless you try to get her attention, we waited about 10 minutes. She doesn't come to take your order or ask/bring you drinks. She doesn't come to check on you. You'll have to hunt her down for a box to go and then hunt her down again for the bill. It's super cold in here, so plan on bring a jacket.
(2)
Eunice K.

So sorry for the horrible review earlier! Idk if someone hacked my account and left that previous review but I have no memory of even trying the food here. Sorry again! Hope I can try the food when I'm in the neighborhood.
(5)
Romuel Dave C.

On a quest for AYCE KBBQ since Shik Do Rak said they did not have AYCE KBBQ (hey, tell us that while we are waiting!) that day... I YELP'd this place... and a friend of mine had gone here and given it 4 stars, so why not? I walk in with 4 Friends, and I'm a little skeptical. It's friday night, and most AYCE KBBQ are packed with hour long waits... but this place is surprisngly empty. It has about 30 or so long bench-style booths, with only 7 or 8 of them filled. For AYCE @ $19.99, they have Bul go gi, Brisket, Chicken, and Pork Bellies. Your standard fair. First plate she brings out is humungous... The Plate itself is at least 18" in Diameter, and is carrying over 50 pieces of meat. The meat is standard good cuts, and taste great. They give you tons of Banchan, and the sesame oil/salt mix... along with your rice paper, and bowls of rice if requested. They also give you the fermented bean soup, along with the egg "soufflÃ©-type" side. ... While grill changes come often (We had our grill switched at least 4 times while we were there) service is hard to come by. You almost always HAVE to use the table-side ringer to get them to come to your booth.... I usually don't like using it as I feel it is a bit rude, but dying of thirst was not the first option I had in mind. All in all, a good experience. Lots of meat, Lot's of food, and at $19.99, its competitive to the places that are $16.99 in Garden Grove... though we did lack a good cold-creamy dessert, we were given pieces of Watermelon.. not bad when its a Warm Summer Night!
(3)
Justin B.

OMGWTFBBQ. All you can eat Korean BBQ for $19.99. Yes please. This place is a little classier than the other Korean BBQ establishments I've been to, and slightly pricier. $19.99 for all you can eat anything is a good deal in my book, but $7 per beer and charging a little extra for other sides (lettuce wraps) adds up quick. I do the Bul Go Gi and and Brisket over and over everytime. I don't trust the egg thing that they bring out and I don't trust myself to not properly cook the chicken. All the sides are awesome. Waitresses are always quick and kind...this place is consistently a fun time that leaves me breathing heavy and cursing under my breath for eating so damn much.
(4)
Kara M.

Stick with chicken dishes, otherwise you end up with very fatty meat dishes. Our table ordered the lunch specials of the following: chicken, spiciy pork, ribeye, and short ribs. The portions were fine for the price, but quality was greatly lacking. Also, service is terrible. Maybe that's why they have bells at the tables for you to ring for service. The vegetable dishes that come with your meal were pretty good. Watch out, you only get one complimentary refill though. I have a sneaking suspicious I might be sick after eating at this restaurant. Would not go back.
(1)
Danny B.

I agree with pretty much everyone else here, the food is pleasantly decent for Korean food in this area. The AYCE for $20 is definitely the way to go. The pork and beef were both pretty tasty, and the light sesame / salt dipping sauce complimented it perfectly. The waitresses were all very attentive, responding to the doorbell rings of my hungry companions and I very quickly. I would definitely eat here again.
(4)
Joshua L.

Lunch review and Kimchi review. The kimchi is surprisingly fresh and good. Actually, I'll say the banchan is surprisingly fresh and spot on in seasoning and flavors all together. Very clean and complimentary to our meal. I had the bulgogi and dengjjang jjigae combo for lunch. My buddy had the mandoo gook (dumpling soup). I've had that before too but its been a few years since I'm not in Irvine much anymore. Good reliable Korean food for lunch. Lunch menu is around $6-10 on average.
(4)
Cameron L.

The first thing you may notice about Korea House is that, unlike most of the other cheap AYCE Korean BBQs, this restaurant is patronized predominantly by Koreans. The good thing about this is the food must be good. The downside is that, if you're not Korean, you may need to brush up on your Korean language skills. Overall, the meat quality is a notch above the cheapest AYCE joints, and the cleanliness is up there too. As might be expected, the price is a notch above the cheaper BBQ places as well. If you're looking for a nicer AYCE BBQ dinner, Korea House is your place. I'm content to frequent the lower-class but cheaper restaurants instead.
(3)
Jessica F.

I'd recommend this place for lunchtime. They have a lunch menu and the prices are pretty decent. I like the bulgogi (beef) or galbi (short ribs) lunch set. The side dishes are all pretty good too; the kimchi is almost always a good combination of sour and spicy. The moo-gook (?) soup they serve before the meal is really nice, especially on a rainy day. Location-wise, it's pretty nice. It's right next to IHOP. Parking can vary, but I've never not been able to find a spot. I do like that you get to sit in booths at the restaurant. It kind of preserves a more private atmosphere for you and your friends. Keep in mind that you will smell strongly of Korean food after your meal.. =P Personally I would not come here for dinner. It's too expensive, in my opinion, and the quality of meats aren't the greatest.
(4)
Tirah N.

been back here several times and it's still as good. ahjumma servers could be a bit more pleasant and quicker with our requests but other than that, really yummy bbq! they also offer shabu now :) but i've yet to try.
(5)
Angela C.

soooooo much banchan!!! 5-6 small dishes plus steamed egg, soup, rice, salad, rice wraps, and radish wraps!!!! Meat was pretty good. samgyupsal was just okay, not as tasty as the ones i had in korea. but i haven't found any place that compares to the bbq in korea... bulgogi was good. beef tongue was also good. they had the sauces ready in a two-sided dish with the oil and salt which I loveee and also another tangy sauce which was really good too! One of the best korean bbq places i been to with the amount of banchan you get! but also maybe i just especially enjoyed it because we had so much food cuz my uncle treated us all this time.
(5)
Bradley C.

I love Korean BBQ! Generous portions, quality meats, attentive service and reasonably priced. They would get an additional star, but as I said before... A place where you cook your own food can't really get more than 3 stars in my book... Since a professional chef's take on a dish is what makes a restaurant 4 or more stars. The one suggestion I would make for Korea House is that they clean their restrooms more often... The men's bathroom was a bit gross.
(3)
Lillian T.

I wish I could have tried their all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ when I came here with friends, but I was recovering from the flu at the time, :( so I had to stick with their tofu soup. It took care of my throat and definitely made me feel better, but taste-wise I thought it needed a little more flavor (maybe I should have increased the spiciness level). For Korean BBQ, $19.99 is really not bad considering it's Irvine. The selection isn't quite so big though, and they only offer the most basic meats. You get oranges after your meal which is neat. Service is okay. One of the waiters came off as a little bit "douchey" because he always served us in a rush, seemed very impatient, and never smiled or said a word. But it didn't take away from the overall dining experience so it was merely an observation at most.
(3)
Christina Y.

I have to say their service was really bad. I had to ring their bell three times in order to get service. And when I finally got their attention, we asked to get more side dishes and the waitress had the nerve to say which one. Really, its customary to have all empty side dishes to be refilled. Another time, when we asked to get a refill, another waitress said she would get it for us and instead walks into the large dining room area to help a bigger group, WTF? She finally comes out of there when we finished eating. What's the point. Shitty ass service. Thanks :) Good thing I didn't have to spend too much on okay meat. Could've just went to the super market. At least the butcher ajushis would have given me better service.
(1)
Cliff C.

Seems like Yelpers either love this place or want to have the service staff deported. I'm pretty middle of the road, myself. Only been here 4-5 times, but never had a bad meal or shitty service. Regarding the service: Dude. They're Korean ladies. They don't have the time or patience to deal with namby-pambies with entitlement complexes. And woe be to you if you don't speak the lingo. I say, Man up, Susie. Cover me, I'm going in. I've had the beef -- it's great. Especially the dipping sauce. Not your typical soy-sauce-based affair but a light sesame oil with a pile of salt in it. No other way to describe it. Take the slice of beef and lightly dip it in the salt/oil. Grab some rice with it and... Sublime. My wife loves the cold noodle soup. Sorry, don't know the Korean word for it, only the Japanese: reimen. She's never been disappointed. Lately we've been going for lunch on weekends. Much cheaper. Other Yelpers are right -- it is a little expensive here. I always get marinated chicken for lunch. Comes sizzling on a fajita plate along with all the great Korean side dishes. Can't complain. The ladies are always quick to refill my glass and empty kimchi bowl. Good stuff. Come with a sense of adventure (and maybe a little testicular fortitude) and you'll leave happy and satisfied.
(3)
Debby L.

Yummy! This place was not full at all when we came. We went late, but still, we were the only ones by the end. The service was great...probably because we were the only ones! The food was great too. We got the huge meat platter. Beef tongue, rib eye, etc. for $100 bucks. Not really sure what else the designated house Korean ordered but it was good! Everything just went on the grill. The mushroom caps are so good too. The price wasn't too bad either. Five of us ate and I stuffed my face with meats, beer, and soju, and I spent $25 bucks by the end for my part. Not bad, not bad at all.
(4)
Sheena T.

This place was pretty busy for dinner on a Saturday night. I went with my UCI TKD teammates for a celebration dinner, and there were around 20 of us. We had to wait a little for a room to be cleared (about 15 minutes). This place is about a ten minute drive away from the UCI campus, and it's a pretty decent place for all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ. I haven't been to very many Korean BBQ places in a long time, so I'm assuming that $19.99 per person is a fair price. You see, a lot of my teammates (myself included) had to suffer cutting weight before our competition, and we were ready to go all out at this place. However, near the end, the servers told us to slow down and that they could not slice the meat as fast as the rate we were eating. I sat with my coach and 3 other teammates who were guys - they were really into the meat scene! As soon as I had a portion of every different type of meat meat, I was full for the night. However, the rest of my table-mates kept having the meat going! We ate so much bulgogi that the waiters said they ran out. The bill came out to be $407 for our big party, and each person hawked out $25 each. It was .. worth it. I don't eat Korean BBQ that often, so I don't mind paying this much every once in a while. Oh, and this place has these cool buttons to call for the server in case we needed things. They were attentive with our appetizer dishes, or whatever they're called in Korean (KimChi, rice cakes, fish cakes), but they were a bit slow on the refills. Try to bring a Korean friend with you so that they can speak in Korean to help you order! I had two of them at my table, so service was a lot more smooth. *Beware: you will come out smelling like Korean BBQ, so wear clothes that you will be ready to wash after eating here. Don't plan on wearing anything fancy unless you want it to smell like bulgogi!
(4)
Joseph C.

This place used to be one of my favorite eats. Now they have fallen off terribly. Go find another Korean BBQ because the quality of the meat, size of the portions and price have all changed for the worse.
(1)
Yvonne C.

I went there with my family on Saturday night 6/28/2014. The waitress was very rude and no any facial expression showing welcome. Because it is around 9:00pm, there was few customers. But still I have to call the waitress many times to get my rice, my water, my kimchi, everything. I don't know if she will treat Koreans the same as she did to us.I am Chinese. I didn't do anything wrong. I felt not welcome by her as soon as I walked into the door. She didn't greet or show any smile to us. Just poke face and was reluctant to talk or offer anything to us. My children did't get the water refilled and complained why it took so long even we already asked for it. We felt angry and didn't even want to pay any tip to her, but according to courtesy, I still paid 10%, but then I just found out the bill they charged on my bank account was $6 more. I don't know if is a mistake or they did it on purpose. I called the bank and dispute it. I am glad I checked my bill on line. I won't never go back again. The food is ok. nothing impressive.
(1)
Lynn L.

This is an excellent place for Korean BBQ. Bulgogi is amazing! Haven't been disappointed yet. Tofu dish however is a not up to expectation. The side dishes are pretty good though. Many of the waitress have been working there for years and this restaurant has been around for a long time. Expect to wait on the weekends. Everyone in the neighborhood knows where the good Korean food is!
(4)
David E.

In a nutshell, this is very comparable to our favorite Irvine Korean BBQ (Airrrang). The galbi beef and jap chae noodles are quite good. The staff aren't as diligent about cutting the meat off the bone for you near the end of your galbi cooking and paying the bill required tracking them down. These aren't common experiences at Korean BBQ's so I figured I would mention it. Regardless, we'd definitely be back if we were nearby.
(4)
Jimmy B.

We usually show up here with a party of 15 or more. The service is good and the same can be said about the food. All you can eat Korean BBQ is not hard to come by out here, but the last time we went I was a little disappointed with the quality of the meat. They also ran out of rice paper when we were there last. I gave them 4 stars for the fact that they actually put up with us. We can get pretty loud and are usually in the side room except when we have to reserve an extra table or two to fit everyone.
(4)
Andrew N.

The cleanliness and the service of the restaurant first caught my attention. I knew that the food would be presented in a fast and orderly manner as well. The price of the food ($20/person for all you can eat) was on the expensive side, so I can't give it at least 4 stars compared to other Korean BBQ AYCE b/c they go for $12-13 bucks. The meats were impressive and had tons of flavor. The kim chi was fresh so I'll give it that! Overall, the experience was so-so, and I'd recommend it if you wanted Korean BBQ that was close and would get the hunger away.
(3)
Andy P.

You can't beat the lunch specials here at Korea House on a typical weekday. Most everything is around $6.50-$7.99. A fair gesture for those craving good Korean food. The dishes that our party ordered (spicy tofu, pork, noodles, etc) tasted great! The side dishes were a bit skimpy, only four small bowls, which were disappointing. But I'm sure the dinner crowd gets a more extensive selection. The wait to have your order taken and served can be quite long, even during a mild lunchtime hour (around 2 pm). Once your dishes are served, the waitresses will pretty much leave you alone until you flag one down. What I noticed on the menu that is atypical of most Korean restaurants is that the restaurant will start charging ($3) if you subsequently ask for refills on the side dishes after the second time.
(4)
Chen C.

The food here is just fine. The BBQ is good. I had a good time here!
(4)
Kanae F.

I went here for dinner and after reading reviews, it didn't sound TOO bad so I decided to give it a go. First thing I noticed was poor service. When we walked in there was no greeting of any sort, just pointed at a table for us to sit and seriously just dropped the menus in front of us and walked off. I was thinking may be its language barrier but I've been to many restaurants that still gave better service even if English isn't their comfortable language. Cool thing tho is they do have a call button you can press to call for service. The price for all you can eat is ok; I've paid less before for better meat and more selections as well. The small side dishes and bulgogi was fine but the pork was kinda gross in my opinion. To conclude; one of my least favorite Korean bbq place :/
(3)
Danny H.

On a stormy sea of moving emotion Tossed about I'm like a ship on the ocean I set a course for winds of fortune But I hear the voices say...KOREA HOUSE! - Kansas (Carry on my Wayward son) Two things about this place: 1. Intimate booth atmosphere - good grilling system in the middle - clothes will definitely smell after eating here. 2. Expect to spend $25-$30 per person for dinner. All the meat dishes are at least $20 - the quality of the meat looks good though and plenty of side dishes. Food: 4 stars --- Service: 3 stars --- Atmosphere: 4 stars --- Price(value): 2.5 stars
(3)
Jin L.

the ahjuma's here are hella sweet and on point. we did the ayce, and they were on top of their shit. brought out new meat even before we were finished, changed our grills with the quickness, and basically just kept the food rolling. everything was super fresh and tasty. their lunch deals are pretty good too. if they were opened a lil later i could see myself sitting and eating, and drinking, and eating again... for a long time.. but alas, they are only open until 10. regardless, i will definitely continue going (;
(5)
Tony M.

Lived in Irvine for 2 years and never knew this place existed. Was introduced to this a couple of months ago and will definitely be back. Great place for lunch. Did not have to wait long and food came out quick and fresh. I recommend the short ribs and brisket. Friendly service and reasonable priced. It's hidden in the corner across the street from Tanaka Farms.
(4)
Laura M.

Korea House is awesome!! The food is great. The service is exceptional. We found this place on Yelp when we got stuck in traffic. What a great find!! For 6 people it was under 100 dollars. You can't beat it!! Order the Shabu Shabu!
(5)
Alessandro M.

Amazing place, came here with a party of 6 and had 4 adult AYCE and 1 kid, for a very good price, the rice is absolutely amazing and so is the brisket. Tastes just like it did the very first time I had KBBQ at Korea Town in LA, great! Will definitely come back!
(5)
Mary M.

I have a weekend-Korean-bbq-tradition with along with The Man and my best friend. We've been going to Shik Do Rak for a while now and though it was never a terrible experience, we've all been secretly craving somewhere new. Due to the crazy mass of customers waiting to get tables at Shik Do Rak last Saturday, I did a quick search and found "Korea House" on Yelp. As soon as I read Bjorn M's words of "all you can eat", we were there! As three Korean-Loving non-Koreans, we walked in and we were greated within 5 minutes (which gave us time to read everything on the white board and the menu!) I was expecting a crappy, dirty restaurant in the middle of nowhere, but I was soooooo wrong! Korea House has large, comfortable booths which we love, and it is a much nicer place than Shik Do Rak. The variety of the all you can eat menu is good to satisfy most tastes, we loved the bulgogi and ended up ordering three plates of it! Kalbi and sirloin were also very tender. Our server brought us a half-plate of marinated chicken to test, which was very tasty. They also served us a large bowl of salad, and steamed egg soufle which looked very cute, but none of us really liked it. The salad was also tasteless and ended up being untouched. It was basically a large bowl of shredded lettuce with no oil or dressing on it. The good thing is that there was more than enough dipping sauce made of salt and pepper in sesame oil for all of us and a big soy sauce bottle for sodium-lovers like me! A service button is by every table, we rung it twice and no one came up! The service here is very slow, even when they aren't very busy. The servers DO speak and understand English! Which is very refreshing! The only thing I like about the service is that nobody will mess with your food! We tend to get a little annoyed when the servers want to do the grilling for you. We actually enjoy the smell of meat, and we appreciate it if you don't put chuncky onions on top of them, thank you very much! I pretty much grill everything on the table...mushrooms, cabbage, green onions, sprouts, whatever that's there and I don't care if people wanna laugh at me! *Hint for you if you're not Korean and wanted to add a rib eye to your order: Don't be afraid to marinate! Ask for a spoon, mix the salt and pepper inside the sesame oil, pour some on your steak and add a splash of soy sauce. I had a random Korean man yell at me at Shik Do Rak when I did that! But you can't blame someone who wants to do everything her way! Overall, Korea House is great! And we will be eating there more often.
(5)
Kitty S.

We ordered three dishes here - bulgogi, bean curd with sprouts, and a seafood pancake. The flavoring of the bulgogi and seafood pancake were really bland. The bean curd with sprouts was pretty good. They're getting two stars because my hubby and I both got the runs after eating here. It was the only thing we consumed in common, solid or liquid, that day. NOT fun when it hits you while driving on the five and you've got several exits, stop lights, and stop signs before making it to your home porcelain. There are so many Korean places in Irvine, we're going to try elsewhere next time. Don't think the plumbing can take another hard hit like that one.
(2)
Ali P.

After living in the apartment community behind it, I finally came to Korea House with my father and roommate last night and was pretty impressed with the crowds and food. Never did I expect the restaurant to get so packed! Who could have guessed that right next to our peaceful apartment community lies a sought-after Korean restaurant that, after 7:00, had a line of people out the door, some of whom waited for over half an hour. We came in around 6:15, and while there were some people already seated, we had no trouble finding a table right away. We ordered some beef and chicken slices, plus two large beers: OB and Hite (we all preferred the Hite). As for the meats, they were tender and delicious. I also loved the sides, such as the soup, noodles, salad, and sweet potatoes. Yes, Korean BBQ (and from what I hear, this location in particular) can be expensive, but we had a ton of food that more than made up for the prices. My only complaint is that service, like at many other Korean places, was sparse and that it was hard to flag down a server to help us out, get the bill, pay, etc. Also, ventilation was at times bad, but we sat by the door so I suppose it was relatively better than sitting in the back. I don't know when I'll be back because it's so expensive to have Korean BBQ in general, but I'm glad I know something so good is so close to home.
(4)
Kathleen H.

I LOVE Korean BBQ and this place is NOT bad and NOT great. The meat is pretty good quality (we typically like to order the noon-marinated items such as brisket, prime rib eye, tongue and from time time the marianted Galbi) but the prices are quite high. To be honest, I think the side dishes are quite good. They brought us 9 sides (our fav were egg omelete slices, fish cake stir-fry, and seaweek kelp), and 1 salad, and our meats come with thinly sliced marinated daikon and rice paper for wrapping (primarily the reason I am giving them 3 stars). I love the salt and oil that you dip the BBQ in. However, the soup they brought out had way too much salt, pepper, and probably MSG although the base was most likely pork bones, it was ruined w/ heavy-handed seasoning. At first I was saying that it tasted just slightly better than bath water, but my honey gave them more credit and said perhaps some people have numb taste-buds...haa haa haaa If it were not for the tasty side dishes, this place would be receiving 2 stars because of the high prices$$ and yucky soup.
(3)
roy c.

For ayce...Wanted to try it, won't be back. One star for cold beer. Thank you Hite.
(1)
Joey L.

Last year this was a three star...this year it's a four. What changed? The value. This has been a spot for me and friends to get a quick fix of korean bbq, albeit not cheap, but their lunch specials were within a college student's budget, too bad they weren't available all the time. After my trip to so cal last month, I found out they serve ALL YOU CAN EAT!! at about $20 bucks a person...SOLD! They have some of the better quality meats i've had at AYCE KBBQ places, their service is OK, but keep in mind that this is a korean restaurant so OK is good, I hope this doesn't offend anybody but c'mon we all know korean restaurants have HORRIBLE service...that's why they give you the button to press! I LOVE the fish cakes here...LOVE THEM!! If they served me fish cakes and rice all day for $20...SOLD! Come here eat, drink and be merry!
(4)
ChloÃ© C.

I am Korean and have been to many kbbq places in Los angeles, Atlanta, and Korea and found this place to be very good. The meat is good quality and the restaurant itself is pretty nice andclean. The side dishes were good and there were a good variety We got the combo 2 with soup, meat, egg. And nengmyun which is cold buckwheat noodles. One of the best I have tasted. Highly recommend if you are in the area
(4)
Hap N.

I agree with Joey L. on this one... in the previous years I would have given this place 3 stars, but now that they offer AYCE kbbq for the price of $20 per person, can't beat that for the Irvine area. The quality of their meat is definitely better than some other KBBQ restaurants I've been to in orange county. Their service is pretty decent, but my two friends come here all the time, so the korean ladies know who they are, hence better service!
(4)
Skyler V.

I met up with some friends here for a little mini reunion. They ordered the all you can eat for me since my ass was running late. I noticed the assorted banchans ready , the brisket looking good, the marinated pork, and the marinated beef all set up. Egg soup was delicious the moment it cooled down LOL. The brisket itself was amazingly tender and full of flavor. The pork was one of the best I've had in awhile. Mildly spicy, yet salty at the same time. Just right! I noticed how some reviewers rated the kimchi as "old." Thank god I did not give a shit about what bitches said. It was PERFECT! Spicy, sour, and everything nice. Went well with the meat. I noticed how the chicken was also seasoned heavily with pepper and a tad of salt. I was skeptical about it because I like my chicken plain. Whatever, toss that shit on the grill. Once the chicken was done cooking, I took a bite. AMAZING! Definitely the highlight of my meal along with the brisket. Great mix of salt and pepper. Of course, my entire party of three had soju to wash it down. Gotta get with the program here! Got a small buzz after the meal. No big deal. The service was terrific. Prompt, attentive, and fun. It's what I expected :). No wait at all compared to Gen or Cham Sut Gol. Will I come back again? FUCK YEAH! I work in Irvine so why wouldn't I partake in some of this after work?! P.S. The best thing about this place? none of those peeps that get all dolled up like they' are about to go clubbing just to reek of Korean BBQ! That's right...I went there ha ha.
(4)
Tom J.

Visiting here recently service is good but pork quality isn't good
(1)
Annie K.

Great quailty meats!! Great Taste! Fast service!! Very friendly!! Never had to wait more than 10 minutes to be seated!! Love this place!!
(5)
Tracy H.

I thought this place was just ok. Food and service were decent. Something to consider: if you're the only one in the group who doesn't want the all-you-can-eat bbq at $19.99 (dinner), then they will make you 1) move and sit at another table like a loner or 2) require the entire group to order individually (not all-you-can-eat). You can claim that you are a vegetarian and order a soup dish; they may be sympathetic to your cause.
(2)
Robert L.

Korea House is my place to go when I want Korean BBQ close by. They have, imo, the excellent meat quality -- definitely the best in Irvine. Korea House has a bunch of lunch specials that are available EVERY DAY, not just weekdays! Most are about $8 and come with really good beef soup, banchan, and rice. My favorites for lunch are the dwaeji bulgogi, dak bulgogi, and dolsot bibimbap. I haven't had everything but so far everything has been good. Note that if you get the Kalbi for lunch, it comes as the smaller sliced shortrib pieces with the bone, whereas for dinner it comes as the long strip of rib meat connected to a larger piece of rib. I like the latter better. Dinner at Korea House is a bit different. Recently they started an AYCE option for $20, but I never order it because it doesn't come with Kalbi, which is by far their best meat. It's marinated well, marbellized, and super tender. It's also super expensive -- about $27. Their bulgogi is also really good, in fact possibly the best I've ever had. It's cut thin and is fairly lean, allowing it to soak up the marinade for maximum flavor. I don't usually order chicken at Korean BBQ, but I make an exception for theirs, which is lean, flavorful, tender, and peppery. Korean BBQ is not really known for great service, and when busy, Korea House is not exception. However, when it's not too busy the waitresses come by and help cook your food, refill water/banchan, and change your grill. I like to cook my meat a little longer than most, and I think it kind of freaks them out because they constantly come over and take the meat off for me and change the grill several times due to the excess char leftover from my perfectly burnt beef. What prevents me from giving Korea House 5 stars is the fact that it is pricey for dinner, and that they don't use charcoal. It's really hard for me to give any kbbq place 5 stars if they don't use charcoal. Over though, a great place to go for lunch and sometimes dinner if you don't mind spending a bit more for really good Kalbi.
(4)
Peter K.

Good food and never too crowded when I go. There are other Korean places that will charge an arm and a leg and/or cater to a really noisy crowd. My wife and I come here all the time with my parents or in-laws and they always enjoy the food as native Koreans. Get the seafood pancake (haemul pahjun), it's the best we've been able to find anywhere!
(4)
Sylvia H.

First time to eat korea BBQ, prices are reasonable a plate can be shared by two just order extra side of rice. They offer around 10 toppings for the meats including peanut mushroom noodles and spices cabbage. A different dinning not far from home. The meat melts in your mouth right off the grill, spice it up with a topping and enjoy !!!
(3)
Hollie G.

Took my kids here for korean BBQ. $40 for 1 order of BBQ and 3 sodas. wont be coming back here. Service was terrible.
(1)
S E.

As a disclaimer, I am a vegetarian so this place had slim pickings in terms of what I was able to order. I didn't have a choice about this restaurant because I came as part of a group. However, I've left steakhouses and fish grills in better spirits than this place. I ended up getting some type of hot stone bowl with vegetables and rice, to which the waitress just stared at me like I was crazy for not wanting meat. Then she proceeded to LECTURE me about not eating meat from the people with unlimited BBQ!!! I (somewhat abruptly) asked her why she would assume that I eat meat when I am a vegetarian. She blankly stared at me, and I don't think she spoke enough English to understand me. I never saw her again during the dinner. There was no flavor at all in my hot stone bowl of vegetables. I was really disappointed because the rice was BURNED and completely STUCK to the bottom of the stone bowl. I literally had to scrape the rice off the bowl, and it tasted charred and was all black and crispy :( I took a few bites of two different sides that came with the dinner, but other than that I left feeling quite hungry. The BBQ thing in the middle of the table had to be replaced halfway through the meal because everything on the grill was getting burned. I think there were three different women who switched off serving our table. When we finally got one waitress' attention, we asked to get more water...and the waitress just ran off before we could tell her we also needed more sides, more napkins, and more meat for the person who had the unlimited BBQ. So we had to wait another 10 minutes before anyone walked past our table to request the rest of these things. This place has terrible service, and is not worth your money.
(1)
s c.

$20.00 for all you can eat meal. It's a great deal. BBQ with paper thin radish and rice paper is an excellent match.
(5)
Sam C.

Outstanding food. Authentic
(5)
Kevin C.

Came with a group of five for lunch on a Sunday. No wait, immediately got a booth. Solid but not spectacular. Got the bulgogi lunch special, which of course comes with rice. We were able to get refills of the kimchi and other sides... good thing, or it wouldn't have been enough food. Decent prices, decent value. Seemed like the place was seriously understaffed. Service was very friendly but really very slow. Even with the service button buzzer thing. Kind of a bummer, because with responsive service this could have been a 4-star joint.
(3)
Lisa G.

This used to be my favorite restaurant for some Korean BBQ. Well, it's apparently under new management. It's a young guy that acts like he hates life and does not want to be there. He was quite rude to us when we needed something at our table. Under new management, the cook must have changed as well because the banchan was not great and the food overall was not as good as it used to be. It's a shame because I really used to like this place, but I will not be supporting this restaurant especially with their mediocre food and their rude attitude and service! No thank you, next!
(1)
Norah L.

After suffering several disappointing turns at a kbbq closer to us, we finally found this place, Amen! Now we don't have to drive to Garden Grove anymore. Tons of side dishes, good meats, rice wraps, salad, oil/salt, egg omelet, soup, rice, and a nice cold Hite to wash it all down with. The price is very good for all of the food you get AYCE. It was two of us and we had to tell her not to bring the second plate of meat because we were too full. We chose to get the non-marinated meats and pork bellies. Next time we are going to try the marinated versions. best parts: -tons of rice wraps -10+ side dishes -good meats -they have the beloved "call button." -good pricing best time to come: 5:30-6:30pm
(5)
sheree k.

This place was alright. Your typical Korean food and side dishes. The place itself was rather nice, they has big booths for the seating. The food was fairly priced. The service on the other hand wasn't so great. We had a rude server but I just ignored it. Overall the experience was ok we got the all you can eat $20 per person. It included bristket, chicken, spencer beef, and something else. Everything was ok besides the brisket, it was so dry and plain. There was absolutely no taste! but Other than that there wasn't really anything that stood out about this place.
(3)
Matthew K.

First time. Mom, Dad, and 3-year old. Had the all-you-could-eat. The hostess was was wearing a Victoria Secret t-shirt? I liked the door bell ringers for quick service. Food and side dished were good. Soda's served in a can were a little trashy I thought. Service was good. No dessert offered? We'll be back.
(3)
Dave C.

First time my wife and I have been to Korea House. We pass by it to work every day but figured it was one of those places that cater to UCI students (ie lots of cheap low quality food). Turns out we were both wrong. Food was good for the price, especially the tofu soup. The service was also outstanding. We will be back.
(4)
Anna K.

Food is pretty good but everything was very salty! I give this place a 2-star rating because the service here is the definition of horrible. One of the worst-service restaurants ever, every single time (my mom drags me here when she visits because it's the only place she knows in Irvine that has a grill Korean bbq. Sigh)
(2)
Andrew W.

great first time eating korean food. with a little grill in the middle of the table, you are left to cook your own food as much as you want. you are also left with an array of different strange mixtures throughout the table to add flavors to your chosen entree. something different if you are tired of the normal variety of food that is usually seen around town. also, very moderately priced. great food for a date or any nice night out.
(4)
Angela D.

Lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Ordered the spicy buckwheat noodles. It was tasty. Portion was huge- I ate 2 meals of leftovers. The banchan was yummy- esp. the fish cakes!! Service was blah. Took forever to get the check and a to-go box. A lousy tip ensued. Don't know if I would go back...but the food was good for the price.
(3)
Shannon L.

It's only worth your money if you go when there are lunch specials. In college, I loved coming for those because for about $7-8, you can be easily stuffed and satisfied. You can get bulgogi, teji bulbogi, dol sot bibimbap, soon dubu, kimchi chigae & so much more. After not coming for a while, I came last night and was so disappointed. Dinner is so expensive and they don't even give you that much! I had bulgogi bi bim bap ($13) which was very very tasty but $13 is pushing it a little. My friends ordered some meat and got literally 15 small pieces for $18. Absurd. Service was lousy. At one point, we got food but none of the proper utensils. Our bitter faced waitress rarely came to help us so it ended being that the hostess helped us out the most.
(2)
orange i.

I'm a Korean food junkie. I have been to most (if not all) Korea restaurants in Orange County, CA. This one is the BEST. If you compare their prices to other places' prices, you'll see that their food is served with a much BIGGER portion for the same price. And don't get me started with their general side dishes, which can be refilled for FREE :) I LOVE IT :)
(4)
flo c.

We came here quite some time ago. I totally forgot about it until now. Background info: My boyfriend hates cooking his own food in public places. "Why am I paying to cook my own food?" Yeeeeah. So I finally convince him to come here and the place was empty. It was a weekday night. The servers here are really nice and motherly. We ordered the chicken and the bulgogi. There was quite a bit of banchan, including a huge salad with some interesting dressing. We actually didn't end up cooking our own food because the waitress dumped the whole plate of meat on the grill for us. That sucked for me because I'm totally the "I wanna cook my own food" person. Plus, we like to eat leisurely but since she cooked all the meat at once, we hurried to scarf it down before it either over-cooked, charred or cooled. By the way, the bulgogi was sweet-ish. Erhm. Weird. I didn't like this too much because it was way overpriced, I think like almost $15 a plate? Geez! I guess they have to pay the Irvine rent but still! For that price, I could do a BBQ buffet instead. Good thing we aren't big eaters.
(2)
Emmanuel F.

We came here once for a guys night out and went with the All-You-Can-Eat for $19.99. The meat selection was good and they were pretty attentive at keeping the food coming. We came another time with the family and this time ordered plates of meat to cook and share, since we weren't about to stuff ourselves silly. This place isn't as crowded or intense as others and the meat quality is good enough.
(3)
Aaron P.

The food was very good. I enjoyed every last piece I had, but the service her was awful. I went with my girlfriend and my two roommates and each of us chose to do the all you can eat for $20. We had finished a plate of the brisket and were out of a lot of sides and it took forever for anyone to acknowledge us even though servers passed us on many occasions. We waited for extended periods of time and decided to hit the service button, even then it seemed as though we were being ignored. We ran out of meat, water, side dishes and no one ever bothered to stop and ask. This is honestly the worst service I've ever received in my life. Had this place had service that was anything but terrible I would have given it four stars. Not going back, ever.
(2)
Francis N.

Went here on a whim needing to satisfy a Korean craving. Luckily, today they had a $5 special on the pork and chicken skillet among a couple other dishes. Went around 2pm, was pretty empty so we got our food pretty quick. We DID get the side dishes and rice, and got double sets because we were a party of three. (If you were wondering what side dishes we got, they gave us the broccoli, cucumber, bean sprouts, oden, sweet potato, and kimchi.) The marinated pork was really well done, not too salty and the portion was decently generous for special of the day. My friend ordered the galbi in stone bowl and the rice looked very nice and crispy on the bottom, his portion was definitely generous. I cannot say anything about the all-you-can-eat, but for a quick Korean-craving lunch, this place definitely hits the spot!
(4)
Jasmine R.

for sure THE BEST korean restaurant in irvine!!! korea house never lets me down when i am in the mood for good, healthy, yummy korean food. they have everything from all-you-can-eat korean bbq to many, authentic korean dishes!!! my all-time favorite is their "black goat soup", a must-try dish!!! it gives you great energy and of course, it is also very delicious! :) and their bibimbap in hotpot!!!! OMG! so good!!!! if you havent been to korea house, you must go and try it for yourself... like NOW! :)
(5)
Marian B.

I've been to many Korean BBQ places in OC and LA (Ktown), so I have a pretty good idea on what is good Korean BBQ and bad Korean BBQ... (I hope so) Although Korea House isn't the best, it certainly isn't the worst. It's above average to me. They give plenty of great side dishes (about 10) along with the rice and soup. I always order the bool go gi and gal bi (kalbi). I like that the meat is of better quality and has less fat on it. Service is great and if it takes them a while to get to the table all you have to do is press the call button. DIIINNGGGG DOOONNGGG! I used to be scared of using that button before though. I always thought that it was sort of a dare screaming to be pushed but if you pushed it they would get mad and spit on my food. But I got over it. =P
(4)
Hirari N.

IT'S SO GOOOOD! I haven't been to many Korean BBQs in the area yet but I say it's comparable to Cham Sut Goi in Garden Grove. The difference in the all you can eat is that you get a better variety for the same price.I went pretty early, around 5pm and service was so fast. I didn't even have time to pull out my phone and all the food was there. Though, around 6pm it did become crowded and it got pretty difficult to get service. My favorite place to get Korean BBQ is here now because it's close to the University and they have great price and good food!
(5)
Myrna C.

I came here for dinner for the second time yesterday and I loved it! We went around 4:30 and just missed the lunch specials, but it was nice and quiet. The service was amazing. The four of us got TWO sets of banchan. SO good. We ordered a plate of brisket, naengmyeon, and this chilean sea bass hot pot. Everything was absolutely delicious. Looking forward to going again soon!
(5)
Cynthasizer B.

Went here for a friends birthday party. Everyone was confused what to order, so the birthday girl ordered for us. The meat was delious!! I was left hungry as we were sharing with a group of us. I was thinking we should of got the AYCE, but the birthday girl said that wasn't as good meat. That it would have too much fat on it. We got: Rib mean, Kal bi & Fire meat, bul go gi. We liked the Kal bi the best. We got all the typical side dishes. The sauces were tasty & love the rice paper. We spent $24 each. We had 9 of us at the table. I still could of ate more. Felt like I only got a few pieces of meat with each serving. We sat in a private room. The place wasn't that crowded for a Sat. night. (although we ate early.) I'd like to go back again.
(4)
Christina H.

I came here for a birthday on a random wednesday night and it was surprisingly good. There wasnt that many people because it was a wednesday but the food was delicious! The korean short ribs were really tasty and i like all the small dishes they give you on the side. This place is secretly opened till 2 am too and they have soju and beer so if you ever want to randomly grab a drink with friends at night, this is the place to go! My friends said it was the only place in irvine that closed this late so two thumbs up for that.
(4)
Angela C.

I completely deleted my old review and am re-reviewing this place. First off, I have to admit that the quality of food is not bad. The side dishes are fresh and they provide a good variety. The main dishes have never deterred me either, but the service last night was just horrible - the waitresses were rude and unaccommodating too. On top of that, the food is even pricier than it used to be! If you drive ten minutes to garden grove you can get the same food AND BETTER for half the price! My friends and I came for dinner. My friends ordered one of those beef platter things for $18 (a little pricier but they hoped it would at least be the amount shown in the picture). Alas, what came out was 16 slices of meager and thinly sliced beef. 16 slices for $18?!?! Let's seee now, if I do my math correctly that comes out to over $1 for each THIN slice. Not only that but they did not season/oil the pan correctly so all the meat ended up sticking to the grill and we had to literally scrap the stuff off. Prices have gone up so much in recent years. I was extremely disappointed by dinner last night after not coming here for so long. The regular korean dishes like kimchee chigae, yukejang, bibimbap are at least $10-15. I'm going to stick with Kaya or "The Korean Restaurant" up by the 5fwy/Culver/Walnut for my all-around korean food, and head on over to Kaju (5fwy/Jeffrey) for all my soondubu needs.
(2)
El S.

This place seems to get bad reviews from Korean people. It seems like they are rude towards Korean customers. Thank God I'm not Korean because I really like this place! The bulgogi and Galbi are always great and for lunch they have great specials for a fair price. They bring a lot of kimchi and other Korean delights before the meal and refill them without a problem. Kudos to you Korea House for making me glad that I'm not Korean! See you next Saturday!
(4)
shopaholic v.

Been here a couple of times and I can't say it incredible or bad. Food was good quality, service was typical, and price is a bit high, but you're basically on the edge of "Turtle Rock/Uni" and gotta expect to pay more than in Garden Grove or something similar. Last came with a group of co-workers for a "party" and loved that we had the entire side room to ourselves. We had way more food leftover than the recommended 4 people portions.
(4)
Larry Z.

I'm not a big fan of eating Korean food for weekday lunch. It can make afternoon meetings a very smelly proposition. :-) So when my coworkers suggested KH, I was hesitant. I've been here a quite a few times, especially when Irvine had a lack of Korean restaurant options, so I kind of knew what to expect. When walking into the place, there is a whiteboard that lists the lunch specials. They are cheap!! For that day, the special included the $5.99 BBQ chicken and spicy pork. My 3 other coworkers order the BBQ specials and I went with the dolsut bibimbap. About 7 different banchans were given per 2 people, so it was plenty. The usual suspects could be found, kimchee, bean sprouts, potato salad, broccoli w/ chili paste, pickles, fish cakes, etc. A soup was given before the main dishes arrived. It was a radish in a beef broth. I usually think that 'moo-gook' is whatever, but this one was excellent. The broth was beefy and very peppery. I nearly asked for seconds. The dishes arrived and the BBQ was good. I think it's about 1/4-1/3 lbs of pork on a hot plate. The stone pot of my dolsut bibimbap was so nuclear hot that the rice was burning even after I was stirring it. I usually love this. Something was missing, it didn't taste amazing though. Unfortunately I think it was because the bulgogi was sprinkled sparingly on the dish. Maybe she was thinking that I also need to lose weight! Anyways, i didn't completely finish my dish, which is abnormal. The service was fast and absolutely fantastic. If I don't need to attend another afternoon meeting, I'll be back. But not for the dolsut bibimbap. P.S. They have this black goat stew which is killer for the cold rainy days!
(4)
Steven C.

$20 typical AYCE kbbq. i like that most of their tables are booths. i prefer shik do rak though since it's a few $$ cheaper.
(3)
Greg D.

The bibim naeng nyoung was out of this world.
(4)
Kay B.

I'm a huge fan of Korea House's AYCE BBQ. You have your choice between pork, chicken or beef served fresh for you to grill at your table along with a nice medley of side dishes. The bulgogi and brisket are delicious! The waitresses are all very attentive, but there is also a bell at your table in case you need someone to come by. This was a little weird for me at first, but after coming here a few times, I've gotten used to it. For $20 a person, you simply can't go wrong when you're starving and craving Korean BBQ.
(4)
Holly F.

good service, good ambience, $19.99 for all you can eat KBBQ, great deal. meat quality is not the best, have had better quality food, but overall, i'm a fan!
(4)
Elaine H.

After coming here two times, I'd say this place is pretty good. The atmosphere is nice, and it's near campus which is convenient. I like all the little cold dishes they serve you in the beginning. My favorite is the fish cake! Sounds weird, I know, but it's good. I've had some better dishes at other places, though. For example, the broccoli they had was pretty bad. It was practically raw! The Korean barbecue is good, and so are the other kinds of meat, but the traditional one is the best. It comes with rice and these rice papers you can roll them up in. The meat is tender and you can cook it as you like it. Try the soups they have. I had one with zucchini and other vegetables, and it was delicious. I also had the poached egg, which has a light flavor but is still good. I know this place might not be the most "authentic" of Korean bbq, but it certainly is still worth coming to every now and then.
(3)
Ashley F.

I used to like Korea House and I preferred to eat at this place then other KBBQ places.Lately it seems like they are going down hill. First off the service is really never that great to begin with. I just kept going back because the quality of their meat was so good. But lately they changed the cut of meat or something and it was so horrible. That made me not want to come back ever again.
(2)
Jennifer L.

So I am a Korean BBQ snob and I have to say this place wasn't so bad! It's $19.95 for all you can eat of selected meats and it comes with almost every side dish that the other authentic places have. We ordered Bulgogi (of course) Chicken and this beef brisket which was amazing! I scarfed down everything! The place is extremely clean and the service is great. Usually Korean places will ignore you to tend the Korean families but we were treated equally here with the same service and respect. It's not a wood chip authentic korean bbq place but it is good and very close to campus. I will definitely come back!
(3)
Vanessa T.

My friend took me here for dinner last week. We went for the all you can eat, but I was surprised that they have such a "limited" meat selection as compared to other Korean "all you can eat" places. I must say that their Chadol-gi (sp?) meat was excellent, but I'm still miffed about only having a selection of 4 meats. The pan-chan was good and I liked the variety. Getting refills on water was a bit of a chore, but I'd go back simply for the "Chadol-gi"...the quality of this meat was good compared to other places.
(3)
Lena B.

he left me speechless!!! so when the bf arrived, all he talked about was getting packaged seasonings for fried rice and veggie stir fries. i told him we asians don't use that sh*t in our food. growing up, all i saw in my mom's kitchen pantry was salt, pepper and hondashi (i didn't even know what oregano and cumin were until i went to college!). pssst...packaged seasoning for food, especially asian food? i could forgive him for being ignorant, but i couldn't tolerate his crying out loud behavior in his disbelief. just to prove my point, i took him to mitsuwa market and freshia market. needless to say, we didn't find whatever the crap he was looking for. devoting all my precious saturday morning for this useless task, i really needed to eat some kbbq. we didn't want to drive to garden grove, so we settled for this place in irvine. although the lunch menu was still offered (even on weekends), we opted for dinner portions of marinated kalbi and cold noodle (naeng myun). contrary to what other yelpers say here, i found the food to be better than most places (of course with a higher price tag) and the service to be decent. what shocked me though was their banchan policy. they charge extra after 2nd refills...wtf!!! i never had to be not greedy at a korean restaurant before. maybe because i had no expectation, or maybe i am just sick of ayce kbbq (last time i had one, all i wanted to do was puke), this place is a sold korean restaurant in my book. and the name...simply brilliant but f*cking boring (it's like that country chick singing "god bless the usa" on american idol)!!! p.s. - i asked the bf whether the mexicans use pre-packaged seasoning for their fajitas and he said that was the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard. i just don't get his logic now. anyways, albertson sells powder seasonings for stir fries and fried rice...gross!!! YES, i l watch american idol and i can't resist but loving simon cowell.
(4)
Raymond K.

Good BBQ menu, but the rest of the food is quite average, there isn't a whole lot of choices on the menu outside of BBQ, and the selection and quality of the banchan are below average.
(3)
Linda Y.

The lunch menu is pretty awesome. For less than $10 for most items, you get your food in addition to all the yummy side dishes. I ordered the yukkejang which is spicy beef stew and it was pretty good. They give you a HUGE bowl of it. The bowl is the size of the large pho bowls. There was lots of meat in my bowl which is awesome. My coworker ordered the yukkejang and bibimbap combo which was only like $11. The bibimbap is huge! The yukkejang comes in one of those stone pots you get a tofu houses. The side dishes were good. The fish cake was yummy. There's nothing bad with the service but it wasn't great. They just kinda seat you, take your order, bring your food. No chit chat. Straight to the point which is fine with me. Highly recommend this place for lunch!
(4)
Kony T.

FOOD: Their Galbi is to die for~~~ very tasty, and they have great shabu shabu too~~~ So frigg'n good. so is their Yenal Bulgogi ~. Those are my fav~. They have AYCE as well: bulgogi, pork bellies and brisket, etc. Their meat quality is also quite good. compared to other AYCE, places. FILTERED TAP WATER!!! ;D i checked the kitchen they have a triple filtration system, which is definitely a plus. SERVICE: It's decent~ Don't be afraid to use the BELL RINGERS!! or Flag down a waitress, any waitress. Its typical in korean restaurants. Foreigners not accustomed to it will just think the waiter is ignoring them lol. This should be expected~. .
(5)
Kevin L.

I had only tried the lunch special which is a very good deal. It come with several side dishes. The service is decent. You do not have to wait too long. Maybe some day I will try their BBQ.
(4)
Marina C.

Such a great Korean BBQ restaurant! Not only was it tasty but it was fun to be able to cook the meat myself. The service was great--everyone was extremely friendly. This would definitely be a good restaurant for people of all ages. We also ordered the acorn buckwheat noodles which were so refreshing after eating A LOT of meat.
(4)
David H.

I just moved in to the area about a week now and know the irvine area known for great different types of food. for me I enjoy Korean Bqq a lot so I decided to try Korean house of Bqq. At first you walk in and it's nothing special lots of table with grills so it does look promising, but decided to go with the bimbim bop something you can't get wrong. This were everything goes wrong, the serve was not so great we must of ask for tea 5 times and still never got it so we gave up on that. Next came the food we came into the restaurant before two other party's and we were served last. My bimbim bop came and was cold so tried to get the serve but there seem to be one around once they dropped off the food. So decided to eat it because I was hungry. There wheat noodle were tasteless and oily. The only reason I gave them 2 stars is because my wife ordered a spice tofu seafood soup and that came out great. So to me I guess this place is a hit or miss place some people like and others like don't care for it. Maybe if have the urge for Korean and don't want to go to far I'll try the Bqq and maybe this will add a extra star or two but for now it going to be a long while before I come back.
(2)
Marvin H.

Hadn't been here in two years, but I've been fiending for KBBQ for weeks so I came in with a friend. I read a few of the other reviewers' complaints, and as far as I can see none of them were applicable to my dining experience, meaning they either stepped their game up for me or those others just came on bad days. Naturally got the $20 AYCE special (everything else is pretty expensive). They provide the usual plethora of side dishes, all were top notch in my book (the potato salad is definitely a step up from your average Korean restaurant). It also came with a simple vinaigrette salad that I thought was great. AYCE consists of 5 kinds of meat: a simple brisket, flank, and then BBQ marinated beef/chicken/spicy beef. Everything is cooked on the table and they throw in some mushrooms and onions. I am by no means a Korean food expert but I thought this was pretty damn good. The meat tasted top notch, just the right texture. Overall all the food was very fresh. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and the standard Korean service button was convenient when I was weighed down by a pound of bulgogi. Everything's clean and the tables feel isolated from one another. Side Note: Nobody in the restaurant speaks fluent English, so get ready for some weird conversation. 5 hours later I'm still full. Life is good
(5)
Esther P.

I want to give it more stars, I do, I really do. Especially because their name gets straight to the point- "Korea House BBQ." And while the food is not bad- decent would be the right word- their service is lacking. They only had 1 waitress working today, and at least 8 tables were occupied. The doorbell went unanswered, and any request took forever. I don't blame the waitress at all, but the management needs to do something about staffing! Other than that it's a good place to fulfill your Korean food fix. A wide selection and reasonable prices.
(2)
Sarah S.

AUGGH! I LOVE THIS PLACE! the food is delicious. Expecially the bulgogi. I am not korean, but the place is great nevertheless. My friend recommended it to me and the prices are nice. They have tiny dishes with kimchi and other delicacies, and great rice paper- not too oily. The meat is pretty good quality. This is a great place to go, though the prices also mean you can't go every weekend.
(4)
M V.

First time I went here service sucked, but I thought I'll give them another chance. I was there last night with guests from Las Vegas and same thing happened, the service was so bad that I had to get up and go look for the person that was serving us. We ordered unlimited BBQ and but end up being limited since there is no refill on side dishes and they ran out of brisket meat. I asked to talk to a manager but there was no manager there finally the cashier said she was manager BS. Also half of the servers don't understand English which is unacceptable. Will never go there and I will make sure I post review for this place anywhere I can.
(1)
Natalie C.

I went to Korea House a lot when I lived in the OC. It was a default place cause it could hold large groups of 10+. They have side "rooms" that can hold a good amount of people. But their booths are very comfortable. The service is okay, but I can't complain, cause I always went there were at least 6 to 20 people. The food is good though. The bbq is good and their bi bim bap.
(3)
Brian S.

This restaurant is great, especially if you want some business-casual kind of Korean food for a group. The meat here is good, the selection is good, and the staff is pretty attentive and come whenever you ring that little bell located at the end of the table. Something else I also recommend is the galbi-tang (Galbi soup that has been cooked for multiple hours). The meat is very tender and the seasoning for the soup goes very well with the other ingredients.
(4)
Jin O.

Wow, lots of mixed reviews for Korea house. This is not my favorite place for Korean, even though it's the closest. The banchan is not always fresh or varied and the service is weak. If you can, drive to north Irvine or Garden Grove. I did have one memorably good meal here from their specials board. It was barley rice bibimbap with mountain vegs. It was refreshing and flavorful. I would go back just to see if they were serving that again.
(2)
June L.

this place is decent, AYCE Korean BBQ for $19.99, not bad, the meat is good, service is slow, restaurant is nice and clean....
(4)
Hanna K.

I HATE THIS PLACE. Simple as that....and here's why. My mom and I decide to go here for lunch the other day and it was a HUGE mistake. I usually don't like having lunch specials at a Korean restaurant, first, I know the service is going to be bad. Restaurants put out cheap lunch specials with hopes of high turn overs. Especially at a Korean restaurant, servers are not that attentive, especially if you get lunch specials. A host sat us at a booth and gave us our menus, and I kid not about two seconds later, a server who was watching us getting seated comes over and asks us what we were having. I even told her in Korean, that I wasn't ready, but she STILL stood there. My mom gave a little chuckle and told me to just order. I couldn't really decide but, I ordered the yukgaejang (spicy beef soup) and my mom ordered the spicy nangmien (spicy cold noodles). A group of men sitting at a booth across from us, who actually came WAAAY after us got their banchan before us. It just made me laugh, and my mom was starting to get angry. The server brought my mom's nagmien first (NO BANCHAN STILL)...I said in Korean, loud enough for the server to here, SO ARE YOU GOING TO EAT THIS WITHOUT ANYTHING ELSE? I guess, it's a Korean thing, you have to eat a meal at least with kimchi??? My mom and I just starred at the bowl of noodles until they finally brought out the banchan, but of course not my soup. I insisted my mom start without me, and after a few chopstick wiggles to mix the noodles, my soup came and I started eating. The soup was OKAY. JUST OKAY. I guess the beauty of this particular soup is to boil long enough for all the flavors to marry each other, but I guess they were in a rush for the lunch service or something, it was just alright. But the big KICKER, they put too much sauce in my mom's spicy cold noodles and it was too salty. So, salty, my mom who NEVER says anything, called the server. When my mom told her that the noodles were too salty, the lady suggested in bringing some cold broth over to mix it. My mom said it was alright, and I offered to just share my soup, because goodness knows a Korean restaurant will NEVER take back your food to satisfy the customer. But, the server insisted and she brought over a bowl of cold soup. She told my mom to dump the soup into the noodles because that's how some people eat it. So my mom tried it but, of course, how could a noodle dish that is not suppose to have any broth taste better with a huge cup of liquid in it? I had enough, so we asked for the check. The host and the servers saw that we barely touched our food, but they still insisted on payment and never asked if everything was okay. I'm sorry, but Korea House, you have no concept of customer service. Whether we eat a $100 meal, or a $10 meal, you should take care of your customers. NEVER going back there again.
(1)
Sensei P.

I had dinner here and got the all you can eat buffet for 19.99, and it was delicious. We got a large private table because their was ten of us. The buffet was so good, lots of appetizers, then plates of meat, and a bowl of egg whites with herbs, brown rice with extra grains and beans in it already. At the end they brought some fresh cool watermelon. After hiking in irvine at shadow canyone, we came here to get a protein boost and refuel after a long hike in the blistering heat of july in socal. I would definitely like to go back to korea house bbq. They also have other items that are not buffet.
(4)
Caroline B.

If you are very hungry, I would not recommend this place as it will start to get very expensive. I have only eaten here for dinner. The food is not bad. I usually get the bulgogi. Its pretty good. But for around $16 a plate, it is a little expensive. The short ribs the one time I had them were not very good - very tough to eat. My one real complaint about this place is the service. Maybe because I am not korean, they do not take me seriously, but I do feel slightly as if they don't want to help me. When I asked for extra fish cakes from the banchan, it came 15 minutes later. Also the last time I went there the waitress brought out the meat and put it all on the grill right away. Personally as a slow eater, in a place that does not give you a plate, this was really annoying. Overall, I this place isn't bad. It is very convenient for people living in Irvine/UCI students. The food is not bad, not cheap either.
(3)
Laura J.

2.5 stars because of their poor service. I've been here a total of three times. Once a long time ago when it first opened and then I have been here twice within the last month. I only now started going back to this place because my co-worker is obsessed with it. We go for lunch because they have pretty good lunch specials. Around 12pm it gets crowded sometimes so if you get there a little before then it will be easier to get a table. One thing about establishments that I pay attention to is customer service. This place lacks it (not that I am surprised. cough) My co-worker ordered a certain lunch combination, the lady brought out bimbimbap (which he did not order) She refused to make his order correctly and told him next time he should be more specific when ordering. So basically he had to eat and pay for a meal he did not order.
(2)
AJ H.

We ate here today and it is a pretty fun place to eat if you like to cook your own food at your table. The meat quality is really good and so is the rest of the food. The service was okay, however after we got our food we didn't really need anything else from our server. The prices are a little expensive compared to some places similar to this in the LA area.
(4)
Jenny K.

Love this place! Every single time i go, i have a great and fulfilling meal... and soju just puts the cherry on top ;]
(5)
Grace R.

I've search for good Korean food good high and low in Irvine and I finally did. All the best Korean food is in K-town or Garden Grove, so it's good to know that I can have a good bowl of bibim naengmyun or kimchi chigae just a few blocks away. Their Dolsot bibimbap is a disappointment because the rice is too soggy. There was no crunchy rice sizzling on the bottom. My favorite is their Chileans Sea bass Maeun-Tang (spicy fish soup). Order your own and don't share. You won't have enough! =) If you work around the area, must take advantage their lunch special.
(3)
Colby C.

This place was great. The service was slow but the food made up for it and it allowed for great conversation and we didn't feel rushed like other places I've been. The waitress was nice and I recommend taking any suggestions they have because they saved me from getting something I would not have enjoyed.
(4)
Arnold W.

4 stars for lunch, 1 1/2 stars for dinner = average of a very generous 3 stars overall Only come here for lunch. This place does have above average Korean food, which doesn't really have a specialty (as when you go to like a Tofu House, or Korean BBQ Restaurant), it serves most of the Korean dishes you crave. The dinner is pretty much the same food, but they jack up the prices about $5-8 more than you'd pay for lunch. Also your hair and clothes start to smell when you leave the restaurant, so BEWARE! I recently went last night, the service sucked. There was a waitress/hotess who I don't even think spoke Korean, she even understood my "broken" Korean, which means your Korean must really suck! Our main waitress had this ancestral look to her, she was worse than Tim Duncan with no expression at all. I don't you think her facial expressions ever moved! She wasn't very good either, I almost sneezed on her, opps! Anyways, I ordered the Soondubu, and it came with no soup, so they had the exchange it. They didn't give me the option of how spicy I wanted, luckily I was okay with what they gave me (I'm weaksauce). The pork in the soondubu was all FAT and made me pretty sick. My other friends ordered cold noodles, and it took forever and was last to be served. Service was seriously WHACK last night! Also my friends ordered meat to be cooked on the grill. It was $18 for 15 thinly sliced pieces!!! Rip off!!! Unless it's for the lunch special, I'd rather go to Korean Restaurant on Culver and Walnut!
(3)
Sam M.

We love it here. AYCE here is clean & delicious. So many sides that you wonder if you'll have room for the meat when it comes! We don't even make it past a round, they are very generous here. Prepare to wait though on the weekends, it gets packed out.
(5)
Justin L.

To get your money's worth, come here for lunch instead of dinner. Lunch prices are $10 or less. Dinner prices, on the other hand, are a lot more expensive (expect to pay twice as much). The restaurant itself is very clean and each party gets its own "booth" type seating. The ventilation is pretty good as well. The banchan here is good and they give you a decent amount, but I believe they charge if you order a huge amount of them. I like ordering the bibimbap here...usually fills my appetite pretty well :). From my most recent visit, I also noticed they just got new stone bowls!! (don't ask me how I notice these things). Overall, the food is good enough to satisfy me, but doesn't make me desperate to come back for more.
(3)
Bonnie L.

Came here for lunch. The bulgogi was good and I especially liked the marinated chicken. All garlicky and yummy! Why the 3 stars? Because service could've been better. I don't have entitlement issues when it comes to restaurants but our server irked me. We didn't finish our side dishes and thought it would be better to take it home instead of wasting food by having them throw it out. We asked for boxes for our leftover bulgogi, chicken, and banchan and the waitress looked at us like we were commiting the faux pas of the century. And then she proceeded to tell us she was going to charge us $.25 for a banchan container. I'm sorry? She repeated...she will charge us $.25 for an extra container. Really? Is it really worth nickel and diming your customer? Definitely left a bad taste in our mouth. We just threw everything in the one free box that she threw at us. I was a fan but meh, I've experienced better.
(2)
Henry L.

Been here twice, both times with a group from work. And both visits, no problem with getting seated. Food, you can expect the usual dished for appetizers typical of korean dining. the slection of bbq items are ok, good mix of different types of meats, and all of decent quality. There was also a korean "pancake" type bread that was also very good, and addicting, it was a big hit with our group. The soup on the other hand was a bit "messy" as in the content of fish, is too plentiful....too many fish parts, keeps you occupied by picking out all the parts to get to the soup. Service was good, fast, also considering that they wern't at all packed. Coming here once in a while is OK, but I'd spend more time dining in Garden Grove for better korean, and obviously K-town, but that's a little far for me.
(3)
David L.

I eat at Korea House about 2 times per month and usually leave very happy. I always get the bbq meats (gal bi and bool go gi) as well as the seafood pancake. Its a big roomy restaurant with a couple of rooms capable of seating large parties. And its very convenient for someone living in Irvine. We used to drive up to Garden Grove or LA to get decent Korean food but now just head to Korean House.
(5)
joseph k.

This review is for Korean dishes during lunch only. I haven't tried their bbq yet so I can't say much about it other than that it smells really good. Their lunch specials are better than most Korean places I've been to. Lunch specials are $5.99. You can choose from marinated chicken, spicy pork, tofu soup, cold noodles (neng myun), and others. The side dishes are good too. Can't go wrong with any of the lunch specials, especially when they are only $5.99. If you are near by during lunch, give it a go.
(4)
Dan B.

My colleagues and I have been going to Korea House since it opened a few years back. The lunch special is a good value and you never leave hungry or too full. The bul go gi is awesome and the sides, soup and rice make for a very satisfying lunch. Here are a few tips: Know what you want. Don't ask for substitutions or special items. If you want 2x the sides make sure you ask the server when you order. Don't be afraid to press the button if you can't get a servers attention. Bottom line is great food, good value and the servers get to know you like anywhere and warm up a little once you go there a few times.
(4)
Shannon M.

Of course, coming from LA and having been to a lot of the most fab korean bbq places, I was very disappointed by the selection in OC. However, Korea House is good. It gets the job done!!!
(4)
Jenny L.

4 stars for the best naeng-myun thus far in Irvine (finally!) and over priced kal bi that just hit the spot after a day in Catalina.
(4)
Lex C.

For the price, you really can't beat what you get. The service can be lacking so you always have to ask for things in batches so be on your toes to ask for lots of things at once (even if you don't need it just yet)...extra rice please (while you still have a bowl full of rice).
(4)
hong h.

the website up there is WRONG! (do not click!!) it's okay, just okay. i know what korean food is supposed to taste like, and this is NOT quite it. but sometimes, i get crazy cravings for korean food, and this place is satisfactory for those times.
(3)
Stephanie Y.

Awesomeness!! I use to go to Seoul bbq in Tustin but felt that the meat and service there had continually declined with each visit. So I searched out a new spot and decided to try this place. I got the AYCE for lunch and everything here was great! The waitress spoke English well and was super nice and attentive and the decor was upscale looking for a Korean bbq. The different meats (brisket, pork belly, bul gogi) were very high quality, especially the pork belly. It was the thickest cut I've ever been served with barely any fat. Delicious :) Coming back for sure!
(4)
Heina D.

Absolutely terrible service if you don't speak Korean. The food was quite tasty, but gave me the runs every time I've eaten there (and I have a very hardy stomach, especially by American standards).
(2)
Sarah P.

I really wanted sullungtang b/c I wasn't feeling too well. But since they didn't have it, I had to get the galbitang (short rib soup). It wasn't that great, but it did come with a lot of banchan (side dishes). I was hoping for ggakdugi kimchi (red cube stuff) since that goes well with the soup, but they didn't have it. The service was okay, but we had to ask for everything.
(3)
Ars H.

Authentic, yummy, consistent, great service and a nice, clean ambia... What more can you ask for?The food is very high quality, which means a bit pricier than average. I LOVE the BBQ chicken and the spicy bass casserole soup! My first go-to for Korean food!!!
(5)
Tony T.

My family and I were craving some Korean BBQ and my sister wanted to try this place out so we were game. We headed over for dinner and the place overall was not too crowded. We were coming in for a 6:30 pm dinner and I was expecting more of a crowd to which it wasn't. There was maybe 20-30 people there, but plenty of open booths still available. We were promptly seated as a table for 4. Great. We were given our menus and we were trying to decide what to eat. Well in the process of choosing, the waitress came by twice to rush us to order. We typically eat Bulgoki and Kalbi at other Korean BBQ restaurants so we figured why not go with something familiar and see how it stacks against other places? We didn't care for the rushed attitude especially since they were not that crowded. To top it off, it took a while to flag her back to take our order when we were ready. We also ordered the buckwheat noodles in cold beef broth which is a good idea for a HOT day in Irvine. We also ordered the pancake dish with seafood (Sorry, I don't have the menu and it's a Korean name and I'm not good with names of dishes. I tried checking the website and it didn't work so sorry!). The sides were placed on our table as the waitress was unable to turn on the grill and had to flag down the busboy to do it. She didn't try very hard which is interesting, but whatever. There was a fish cake side which was all right, some dried seaweed, kimchi, a mushroom and carrot side, and a bok choy-type of side that had LOTS of garlic. It was too much that it overpowered everything that it was a big turn off. The Bulgoki and Kalbi was all right. The meat had flavor, but nothing that really stood out. It didn't wow me and I've been to several restaurants and have enjoyed the result. Here? Not so much. The beef was a little too bland, like it was a little diluted or something. I could taste the flavor, but it just was not strong enough to really impress me which is kind of sad. The cold noodle dish wasn't that flavorful either. Lacking anything distinct to make me want recommend it. As for the service, not great. Like I said earlier, the waitress was rushing us initially and then disappeared after we ordered. There is a call button at your table if your waitress doesn't come (that doesn't instill a good sign if you need a button right?) regularly. I ordered a Coke and never got it. I had to remind her and she plopped it on to the table like it was a huge inconvenience. It was a can of Coke, not rocket science. Also being that it was a VERY hot day, we wanted refills on water. I don't think that is a crime. Well she seemed annoyed or rude that she just came back and refilled our waters and LEFT the pitcher of water there. I thought that was rude. We drank because it was hot, but she could have been nicer about it. Also when we were done with certain dishes, they were slow to clear the table of the dishes. Overall, I was just not really impressed with the service. Pros of the place? Plenty of parking and you are seated pretty quickly. The seafood pancake dish was pretty good. Cons? I didn't think the food was that great, service is quick initially, but declines dramatically after you order. None of the dishes stood out. I LOVE Korean BBQ and typically have positive experiences. Color me less than impressed here. I don't plan to come back. The prices weren't horrible, but for the lack of flavor, I thought it was a bit much. Enter at your own risk!
(2)
Jaemi S.

Obviously the owners for the restaurant don't read Yelp. I have the same review as many others here. They are overpriced, service is bad and slow, small portions, and very impatient. I hope now that there are more korean bbq's coming into Irvine, they would step it up, bring down the prices and give better service.
(2)
Kim H.

I have visited this place twice. Twice is too many times. I went the first time for lunch and order their combo of Bulgogi and Dang jong chegae, which i love both. OMG, the Dang Jong Chegae was way too salty and the bulgogi wasn't that great either. The service was fair at best. I thought well maybe they had a bad day or maybe I'm being too sensitive so I tried it one more time. I ordered the same thing and the first spoonful of Dangjong chegae, litterally made me throw-up. I have never had such a reaction to any food. It was so salty my stomach convulsed immediately. To tell you how serious that is, I have never ever thrown up or come close to it. Needless to say, I will never recommend this restaurant nor visit again. Wish I could give no stars.
(1)
Michelle N.

The three stars are purely for the meat and the noodles. Customer service, as noted in previous reviews, was absolute bollocks. Perhaps it is not so bad if you are Korean and can get their attention in Korean. However if you have two whiteys and a Filipino, of whom only 2 speak about 5 words of Korean (and 3 of mine are rude) then you really get ignored for a while. But, when we did get our orders in (2 forms of cow and a dish of spicy pig and a big bottle of Hite beer) everything went smoothly from there. The lady was actually quite attentive for part of our meal and we got our banchan, rice and soup quickly. We also got chap chae (sp??) for an appetizer - a thin rice (like a saifun) noodle with thin, tender strips of beef and mushrooms. Holy cow, I was ready to just nosh that whole thing down myself. Mmmm. The bbq itself was nice....no smoke and the server would keep coming over to adjust the heat and cook the meat for us and serve us. The meat was tasty and I was quite happy with what we got, even though the spicy pork wasn't spicy. Overall, I would come here again so I could try one of their bibimbaps, which are the size of your noggin and look tasty rather than the overpriced bbq, or just a huge plate of that chap chae.
(3)
Jenny C.

Despite the overall reviews for this place, I would still give this place 4-5 stars!! I've been here twice already &I haven't been dissappointed yet. The Kalbi meat is really tender &delicious, &I might even say that it's better than some other ones I've had!! The side dishes are really good too, &tend to change from time to time, allowing you to taste an assortment of food :) This time, they gave us an eggplant dish (which we found tasted even better when grilled with the Kalbi. try it!). The bulgogi dol sat bap is really really delicious I could eat it all day hah! The nam sul dol sat bap was good too, when paired with some kalbi, but didn't have the beef slices that it promised (a bit saddening). The side soup that comes as an appetizer is also super yummy!!! The booths have really high backs, which is good for privacy, but is bad when you are 5'1" &are trying to get the attention of a server. Therefore, if this applies to you, press that call button like there's no tomorrow!!!!! &It goes bee-boop.
(4)
Troy H.

For Irvine Korean food, this place is good, but expect to pay Irvine/Newport prices. Kind of like Yi Dynasty: Not the best Korean food, but good for the neighborhood. If you're not willing to drive to Garden Grove or L.A., this place will do.
(2)
Anonymous A.

I had dinner here tonight and this is the first time I've gone. We got lots of appetizer plates, but no refill, unlike other Korean places I've been. The menu didn't seem to appealing to me, but I just got the bulgogi and some kind of soup. they barely gave enough bulgogi considering it was $18. It was 1 layer of meat of 1 plate. Then the soup was really really oily and had barely any flavor. But, because the bulgogi was good enough, I didn't want to complain. Then when we ran out of the rice paper and radish to wrap the meat in, I asked for more, and the lady said no and walked away! Their service is bad. Unless you ring the bell, they wont even come by your table. Then for dessert, we got 1 slice of an orange cut in half for 2 people. Talk about cheap. I'll never go back.
(2)
Jason W.

I went to Korea House for the first time last night with a friend for dinner. We ordered the Chae Dol which is thin sliced flank beef. Not only was the meat very poor quality (overly red indicating over oxidation from sitting out of refridgeration too long), but also over priced at $15.99. For that price I would expect a decent quantity, but there was barely enough to feed half a person. Korean side dishes which are normally a treat and served as appetizers. Again Korea House disappointed with sub par quality side dishes. The one high point of this restaurant is the decor which is nice. However, when I go to a Korean restaurant, quality, flavor, and value are most important. Needless to say I won't be dining here again.
(1)
irvine t.

our family's favorite korean spot in irvine. unseasoned meats are the best imo.
(4)
David L.

I always go to LA Korea town or Garden Grove Korean business district to eat Korean BBQ even though this place is right next to my house. This place has terrible service. One time, my dad and I went in there and the waitress at the cashier stand didn't even look up for over 2~3 minutes because she was busy calculating tips or something, so we just left. Food quality/taste are actually pretty good but the lack of proper service ruins everything. The price is pretty high, obviously because it's located in Irvine(high business rent, etc..). This place is always understaffed even during the busiest time. The owner/manager must not be very fond of offering good customer service since all the waitresses they hire are very bitter and irritated people with "too-good-to-be-serving-others" attitudes. Good luck getting their attention when you need something, especially when you don't order high priced entrees. This place is by far the WORST Korean restaurant I know(and I've been to at least 500 different restaurants in my life time) This makes all Korean restaurants look bad I would honestly PAY people not to go here because you will come out irritated. No one deserves to spend 30~40 dollars per person for a meal and come out feeling like crap. PRO: Conveniently located for Korean food lovers in Irvine CON: The WORST service ever, unreasonably priced
(1)
Brendan A.

Decent korean bbq, we ordered the marinated and unmarinated kalbi. The unmarinated despite being their "house special" was not special at all. The raw meat looked kinda dry but tasted just ok. The marinated ribs were definetly better. A little on the sweet side but my wife liked it better then Yi Dynasty's marinade. The side dishes were decent. Loved their green wasabi flavored? radish. Kimchi bokchoy was also different. Wished they had the fishcake though. At least they did not list extra charges for asking for more side dishes. Service was quick but the waitress can't speak English except for "order?, beer?, cut?, and check?" After they brought the meat we did not see our waitress for the rest of the night. We had to press the service bell for the check and there were no deserts (could've used the sweet rice drink). We would come back again.. since we have so few choices now that I have put Kaju tofu on my crap list.
(4)
Karen P.

I was dropping off my son for his first year of college and this was out last meal together. We wanted something nicer than fast food but not too expensive. This place fit the bill. I'm not usually very adventurous, but being from Texas "Korean BBQ" was enticing. I could leave Cali without finding out what it was. We went inside and it was pretty empty but it was still early. There were two Korean families eating there. We didn't understand the menu but with a little help from the waitress we figured it out. They don't seem to understand English that well but we enjoyed it as part of the experience. We ordered one of their specials that was $21.99. We asked if it would be enough for the two of us and she seemed to think it was okay but it felt like she was looking at us like we were fat Americans that could probably eat a whole side of beef. The food arrived with the raw meat and a ton of little side dishes. We told the waitress we weren't sure what to do and she said "Enjoy" and walked off. We laughed and put the meat on the grill in the table that she had lit. The sides were very interesting. We tried most of them and actually liked several of them. The special we got was more than enough food for the two of us. While we were there, more Koreans came in to eat. I figure the food must be good if they eat there. Service was okay, had a hard time with the language barrier but we managed. Also, didn't refill my son's water very often and some of the sides were spicy. I would definitely come back next time I'm visiting my son in California.
(4)
Joey W.

Place was empty, only 3 parties in the place. So they were quick to sit us. They sat my family down and didn't bother to ask us what we wanted to drink after sitting us. We sat at our table for 15 minutes with no service. My family and I got up and left after 15 minutes. I can saw that I will never come here again.
(1)
Frances G.

My 3 friends and I came here Friday night around 7:45ish. Our initial plan was to go to Gen in Tustin, but it was packed as usual, and plan B (Shik Do Rak) didn't work out either. Although we were starving (and driving around for almost an hour), we were determined to eat KBBQ at this point (stubbornness - that's what happens when you get older). Korea House was only a 5, 10 minute wait. Haaallelujah! *Raised my arms up to the ceiling of the restaurant* As we sat down, we immediately ordered the AYCE special, which came with your choice of meat (we got the pork and bulgogi) and banchan for something like $19.95 per person. We also got the steamed egg pot and miso based soup, but I'm not sure if this was part of the special as my Korean-speaking friend did all the ordering. I don't know if it was because I was so hungry, but everything was YUHHH-MEEE, as if I can hear my stomach singing, "There's a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy." Heck, I usually don't drink beer, but even the beer tasted good. Yes, there is that obvious downfall - smelling like you've been marinated and grilled from head to toe - but when your entire party smells like that, there is nothing to be afraid of.
(4)
Sean S.

Last night I finally felt good after being sick the last few days. I decided on getting some Korean food. I have ate here in the past and thought it was pretty good. I guess this place has changed owners. It has been cold here in so California the last few days so I brought a jacket with me. I am glad I did..it was freezing in this place last night. Other patrons were also cold. Not sure why they keep it so cold. It took forever for a wait person to take my order. The waitress barely spoke any English. Oh joy what fun that was trying to order from her. I had asked for some hot tea. The hot tea I could see the bottom of the cup. Even one of the wait staff yeah it is like warm water. I ordered a pork bibimbap. I never got any Banchans. I had to ask a couple of times for them. I love fish cake and asked the waitress a few times if they had any fish cake. After about the third time, she informed me no more tonight. Even before I was done with my meal, my check was put in the table. I put my credit card down but no one ever came by the table to get my credit card. I finally went up to the cashier's area. No one was there even to take my credit card so I could pay for my meal. The food wasn't that bad but the service and atmosphere have something to be desired. Again it was freezing inside the restaurant. Also if you want hot tea here don't bother. It is nothing more than warm water that has a tea flavor.
(2)
Paula G.

Food great, service and attentiveness from servers was terrible. First and last time for me.
(2)
Jesse L.

Food is legit, decent quality and the servers are pleasant, BUT MAN is it SLOW!!! I'd be hesitant to come back again just for this reason.
(2)
Steve L.

My group and I ordered the all you can eat option for $19.99 and the fish roe soup to share. In my opinion, the soup was very small compared to other restaurants and there were only two pieces of the fish roe in the soup. The quality and taste of the soup was also average at best. The meat, however, was of pretty good quality. I eat Korean bbq very often and I guess if they charge $19.99 for only five different kinds of meat, their quality needs to compensate for the high price and be above average. I was definitely satisfied with the quality of the brisket. If price is not an issue and brisket/pork belly are the only kinds of meat that you need, I would definitely recommend this place to you. The service is also great. The waitresses are very friendly and are also quick with the service. Bringing new plates of meat, refilling side dishes, and changing the grill were all handled well and extremely quickly. Our group was pleasantly surprised with the speed and quality of the service even though it was packed with people. I would recommend this place with confidence to anyone who does not mind paying a little extra for good service and good quality meats.
(4)
Paul K.

Ate here is a group, we shared the seafood pancakes (very good), and I had the Bulgogi for lunch which was also quite good. One of my friends got the bimbimbap which came with noodles instead of rice, which I thought odd. Price was reasonable but service was slow.
(4)
Crystal L.

My sister and I were apprehensive when we came here because we were expecting terrible service based on all the reviews. We perused the menu and started salivating. they have so many choices! they have my ultimate fave: seafood pancake, all sorts of nengmyun noodles, soondaboo, etc. BUT we were stickin' to our kbbq guns. immediately the banchan came out. USUALLY, my sister can eat next to nothing when it comes to banchan. no likeys the pickled stuff, ya know? but tonight, they had a few of her faves: 1) glazed potatoes - tender but a touch firm. delicious; 2) fish strip stir fry - these strips are thicker than i've seen before. YUM; 3) boiled eggplant with sesame seasoning - i am beginning to see this more and more and i LIKE IT! 4) salty dry seaweed - it's good but i spent my stomach real estate on other things; 5) acorn jelly with soy sauce - always a fave, and they put diced peppers in the sauce too. yummms; 6) kimchi radish strips - pretty good. not very spicy or anything; 7) KIMCHI - WOW. they're kimchi is really good here. not super sour or tart. it's flavorful kimchi; 8) oxtail broth - extremely flavorful broth with daikon slices in it; 9) egg pot soup - BLAND. not getting it again. read a review about the limit of banchan refills - we didn't experience that at all. bring on the glazed taters and fish cake! Of course they had rice paper (you have to if you are a kbbq place), sesame oil with salt, soy sauce, and the salad there is really good. it's green lettuce, sliced onion and sliced green onion in dressing. i like the addition of the onions and green onion. didn't bother with the radish slices or garlic tonight. the banchan were satisfying enough. we only ordered 3 meats that came with sliced onion and green onion matchsticks: 1) brisket - pretty good. not fatty but still very beefy. i likes it! 2) pork belly - ohhhh baby. can't go wrong with the belly; 3) bulgogi - decent. only gripe is that it started falling apart because of the thin slice. marinade was good though. next time i'm going to try and get half orders to get more selection of the meats. the ayce is $19.99. honestly, you have to think of trade offs when comparing other places. no, they didn't have the most amazing meats in the world, but you know it's 5 minutes from my house, there was no wait whatsoever, the banchan selection is huge, and the SERVICE WAS GREAT. we really got waited on. servers were always checking up on us, making sure our banchan were full, asking if we want more meats, and it was surprising that we didn't use the service button once. i was prepared to press that thing like it was my job. no need! some reviewers said you should bring a korean friend with you or speak korean, but we had no problems at all. but... well... we are asian. still don't think it mattered. will definitely come back to try all their other stuff and the rest of the kbbq items. we hurt ourselves eating too much. =)
(4)
Amy M.

It was my first adventure with Korean BBQ. Went here for a team dinner and maybe it was the hype that was built up beforehand but I wasn't as impressed as I expected. While the food was good the service our large group received was quite slow and sporadic. I will have to try other places before I can make any changes to my current rating.
(3)
Lin F.

AYCE seasoned & unseasoned meats, see photo & menu photo....no wait on a Wednesday night even though place was full. Fast service if you wave your hand instead of bell use. Grill changed fast. Great sides...Kim chi not as "hot" as I prefer.. But lottsa garlic goodness so not only do you leave the place reeking of KBBQ; you are breathing dragon breath too. Went for a walk afterwards and the meat/ BBQ aromatherapy had the neighborhood dogs howling when I walked by! You know it's good when you leave with the perfume of brisquet. Rice was purplish, sticky, and perfectly cooked. Egg bowl awesome! Salad light with a touch of sweetness. Chili on the side almost all gone from using it to spice up the unseasoned meats. The chili is modified Korean style and I don't know their "secret" ingredient here that makes it unique from other KBBQ houses. Yum yum for my Tum Tum. No boxes given for leftovers due to AYCE. Spicy seafood tofu bowl ordered as a dish too... Meh(2*) BBQ 4* service 4*
(4)
Yuki M.

Succulent meat in my mouth. Drippy juices down my chin. Slaverous slurping and indulgent indecencies. A greasy, smokey, KBBQ gem amidst the bleached yellow backdrop of south county. Been here 3 times this year and haven't written a review yet. Oops $20 for AYCE and the choices of cuts that are offered aren't too shabby. You pretty much get everything you want/need and if you want to top shelf stuff, you can always add it on, but in all honesty, you won't need to. The a la carte menu is pretty extensive and impressive. There is a very tempting variety of premium cuts in addition to the AYCE selection. Prices are as expected for a sit down semi-full-service KBBQ in Irvine. Over all quality is good and better than what you would expect for a tiny AYCE establishment. The side dishes that they give vary day to day, but they are plentiful and always fresh. The standards are always on hand and what you may or may not get are things such as the fishcake or cucumber kimchee or some other stuff that I'm not familiar with. The meat quality is good and the dining area is pleasant. You have booths, booths, and nothing but booths. There are also a few semi-private rooms off to the side. Service is akin to tackle football, and your rice paper refills are limited to 2. Tap water and barley water are good. I come here to fill up and get fat and not feel too guilty. The cuts aren't too fatty and the salad they serve is in a pleasant dressing that makes you actually want to eat it. I've grown accustomed to KBBQ in Cerritos, Artesia, and Garden Grove, so you can imagine my lowered expectations walking into Korea House, but I wasn't disappointed and my expectations were surpassed. Granted this isn't the best KBBQ I've ever had, but dammit if it isn't the best KBBQ I've had in south OC. I'm so glad that this place exists because not only is it down the street from my house, but in all seriousness, I couldn't be bothered to stand in line at Shik do Rak or any of those other places that host a line long enough to make you contemplate McD's as an alternative (Cham Sut Gol and 85C, I'm looking at you). F that noise. I'll have me some Korea House any day in Irvine.
(4)
Kislev A.

I ordered the Bibimbap on a stone bowl. It was large and it was very very good. We were three families altogether (3 couples and 4 kids) so they gave us a private room. Yes! Good thing too coz the rest of the place seems more stately. You know, no kids. But the employees were very friendly and patient through the utensil droppings and toddler running.
(4)
Sarah K.

They give large portions! So just beware when you're ordering. The meats are real good and I loved their dwe-ji-bo-ssam. again, large portions and real delicious. What won me over was that we made a special order during our company dinner for a guest. And it wasn't on the menu, and we got a "no" at first which I understand. Then out of nowhere the waitress brings out the dish we asked for! Amazing. The cooks whipped it up real quick for us. Of course we were told this is one and final time we can do this. Still, they were real sweet to do that for us.
(5)
Eva L.

Hot stone bibimbap was good, but service wasn't that great. This place is 50/50 for me. Sometimes I have good and bad days there. Overall, it is not enough to entice me to return as a happy customer.
(3)
Doannie N.

Came here for a friends graduation party. Its so smokey inside but i guess that's expected when you walk into a kbbq place. I tried their brisket (my fave) & it was pretty good. Their kimchi is amazing. Very perfect flavor on their Kim chi lol. I like how they have the salty dipping sauce. They thought we were lying about how many people we because they thought that some of us were trying to not pay but that wasn't the case at all. Besides that maddness, everything else was good. I'd come back!
(3)
Lisa V.

As a nearby Korean restaurant - I'm a fan! The place was packed after work during the weekday and they definitely were running around accomodating everyone. I don't expect the BEST service, but I think they did a fine job. Medium sized restaurant with vents above every booth. Which the restaurant is filled with just booths large enough you can't see over the wall to your neighbors. There is also a private room off to the left of the restaurant. Perfect for a birthday gathering. I came from the bulgogi dolsot bimbimbap - but there was no egg? Still very flavorful and maybe this one just doesn't come with it. And lots of banchan to choose from. I was happy with the amount & selection. Also came with a cup of the oxtail soup. What a surprise. That's a treat in my opinion. I'll definitely be back here with the convenience when I need a taste of comfort food. Just a tip for parking: drive around towards the IHOP and you'll have a full lot that is close to the restaurant. The way that the parking lot is configured in the front by the Chevron is a bit misleading.
(4)
Iris H.

Korea House is my go-to place to get galbi tang (Korean rib soup) in Irvine. Their soup is a lot more flavorful better than Chae Bahn at Diamond-Jamboree Plaza, and the meat is the perfect amount of tenderness. I recommend coming before 3 PM and ordering it at the lunch price ($12). I would give Korea House 4 stars based on their galbi tang, but unfortunately their other soups aren't very good. Their beef napa cabbage soup is really bland and their soon tofu is horrible.
(3)
Jonathan G.

This is an excellent restaurant! Don't know why people don't recommend it more and make those stars increase! Best Korean BBQ in Irvine bar none! Fish cake is the best!
(5)
Jenna L.

I came here for lunch to take advantage of the lunch special-- they offer really good deals! I ended-up getting the Kimchi & Pork Soon Tofu special-- it was flavorful but the depth of flavor was limited when I compare with the soon tofu I like. It's a smaller portion, of course, and it also comes with rice and delicious side dishes. I believe it was $6.50 before tax. They were very generous with their side dishes as they did not hesitate to give us more when we requested it. There was a good mix-- bean sprouts, potatoes, fish cake, pickled cucumber/romaine, kimchi... works for me! In the end, it tasted fine, I was full, and I left the restaurant pretty satisifed. I would go back again-- the price for what you get really draws me in!
(3)
Jordan D.

I came here for the first time a few years ago and I remember this place being extremely pricey. They didn't have AYCE, but I guess now they are starting to follow the trend of orange county korean AYCE places. I read some of the reviews about the 20 dollar price for only 5 kinds of meat and thought I would rather go to better KBBQ places around the area. What I did come here for, on the other hand, was their Naengmyeon. A cold buckwheat noodle dish. Similar to cold japanese soba noodles but in a soup. You can get it either with mustard and vinegar or super spicy. This dish is perfect for a hot day. There really isn't a lot of places that serve this dish, and if they do it really isn't great, but this spot was actually pretty good. The only real negative thing about the food was that the kim chi looked and tasted like it was out for a while. The service was good, but I can see how if your not Korean, or you aren't with someone Korean they won't really come to your table. Honestly Americans need to get used to that little button at the side of the table that makes a loud beeping noise. Its not rude to push it so go to town on it. It lets them know you want something. Pretty good naengmyeon for a decent price and good service. I will be back here again, but honestly only for the naengmyeon. Too many other AYCE KBBQ spots for the same price, but get more variety. .xxxx. |(o)(o)| ( (__) ) | ( ) | \__/ Jordan
(3)
Alex Weihsien W.

OK portions OK prices OK service OK food The first Korean place I've seen that limits your banchan to just 1 refill!
(3)
Shingo A.

This place is just A-Okay. Service was very good. The exhaust fan doesn't seem to be sucking all the smoke out. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's designed to blow smoke into my face. I couldn't stop coughing because of all the smoke going into my lung. My advice to you is if you are ever seated by the door, sit facing the door. Don't sit with your back towards the door. That's where all the smoke seems to be going to. I thought they use very good meat for the price and side dishes were A-OK. Would I go back? Sure, but I have no reason to drive all the way to Irvine when there are better choices in Garden Grove, and Torrance/Gardena area.
(3)
Lisa A.

Korean BBQ or Korean Tofu? F that tofu, I want MEAT. My two lovely lady friends and I had dinner here Saturday night, about 6pm. Glad we walked in when we did, they got extremely busy between 6:30-7:30pm. We decided on the $20 AYCE extravaganza of beef, chicken and pork. Did I mention this was my first ever Korean BBQ experience? Well it was and it was pretty darn good. The chicken was really good, the beef a close second. The pork, which I thought was going to be more "bacon-like" (by the looks of it), was just ok. The salad was surprisingly delicious, simple but delicious. Had a great time with great friends, only had to replace the grill top once and enjoyed some good food.
(4)
Desiree V.

I have driven far out of my way to get the pork bulgogi at this place. I have searched high and low for bulgogi as good as this place, without luck I have even made my own marinade, purchased a meat slicer, etc. etc. to make this dish and have yet to make anything better than they sell at korea house. I always get the lunch, which is already cooked though, so that could affect your experience.
(5)
Michelle H.

OH MY GOSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Who knew that such a bomb freaking AYCE Korean BBQ place was riiiiiiight by my place?!?!? The service is ridiculous-y great and the food quality is pretty awesome too... I was pretty stoked on the large selection of Kimchi/sides that they had available. I also loved that they weren't stingy with the meat, so it was a win win for my fiance and I. Also, you can't beat the fact that they are open until 10... IN IRVINE!!!
(5)
Candice Y.

I definitely have mixed feelings about this place. The service was less than mediocre - we had reservations for 7 o'clock, but we were seated ten after. After we were seated, no one came around to offer water or take our order until we rang the service bell a couple of times. We struggled to get service throughout the meal and always had to use the bell even though the restaurant wasn't that busy. We ordered the combo meal for 5... which could easily have served 6-7 people! The meat quality was surprisingly good (especially when compared to shikdorak or chamsutgol), the soybean stew (dwenjangjjigae) had just the right kick, & the steamed egg stew was pretty yummy. Plus you get all of the little side dishes. So food good, service ehhh... Meat good, smelling like meat.. ehh...
(3)
Bertha M.

Slow & terrible service!!.. Meat is 2 fatty!!. & my side dish came extras!!.. Gross!! Would spend my $ here again!!
(1)
Jennie N.

My bf said the meat here is of high quality plus they don't freeze it and I trust him when it comes to Korean bbq. The meat was very tender; I just didn't like the marinade very much because I thought it was too sweet. Service was great. We got the grill changed timely, and most of the food cooked and cut for us.
(3)
Steve A.

Short and sweet. I ordered a Chap chae and it was really good, and I had all you can eat. I tried the chicken, which didn't pack the same punch as the Bulgogi. I like the Bulgogi the best. They brought the scrambled egg in the super hot plate which I burned my mouth on, I guess they really are hot so don't eat it right away. I will be back, that is all. Oh, and service is nice because if you ask a server that is not yours for something they bring it out promptly. Technically 4.5 stars but they earned the thumbs up!
(5)
Kaitlen F.

This place is oh-so tasty. This next comment will likely make me sound like a fatty but I honestly don't care. The main reason I like this place is for the all you can eat. It's about $20 and it's literally...all you can eat meat. How could this be a bad thing you ask? I won't say that you will feel very good after you eat endless plates of meat...chances are you will feel like you just ate an entire field of cows. At least I do every time I leave. They service is pretty good-they are pretty on top of things and will switch out your grill often. There is a service bell at each booth to grab their attention if they are too busy. I think my favorite part is that they bring out a bunch of appetizer things before the meat. There's veggies, kimchi, fried munchies, rice, noodles, salads. You name it, it's probably there. The best kind of meat in my opinion is the brisket or the bulgogi. Definitely a great little bbq joint!
(4)
Kelly C.

I don't know, it seemed expensive & the meat seemed fatty. We also don't like all those sides or the soup @ any Korean BBQ place. It's likely that it's a little on the authentic side for us. Not really the restaurant's fault, just not for us. We LOVE Anjin in Costa Mesa & compare every Korean BBQ place to it unfortunately.
(3)
Stephanie W.

I've only been to this location during obscure hours where there have been, on average, 1-2 parties in the entire restaurant. That being said, the service is sub-par. My group is not one to be needy, but ordering more meat and asking for a refill on water often requires a strong effort to attract the servers' attention. That service button is generally the only time a server will check on our table (unless it's giving us the bill).
(3)
Franklin Y.

I think if you want a 4 star experience bring a Korean-speaking person with you. If you do this, the servers will probably be more willing to help you (and it's easier to communicate that way too.) Other than that, the food here is a solid deal if you come for the lunch specials or go for the Korean food that isn't too common; Nyengmian, Yukgaejang, Bimbimbap, etc. Not much else worth noting, just an okay Korean place to get your fix, but nothing too special. Can't go wrong with ordering anything that you would see at any other Korean place.
(3)
Mirae Y.

So slow!!!!!! We ordered lunch naengmyun combo but galbi came out after we finished naengmyun..... galbi wasn't even good.
(1)
Effie B.

I'm a big fan of Korean BBQ. We used to come here often because the service was good and the food was great. The last couple times we were here, however, the service had seriously declined, as it took forever to get them to come to our table each time we needed them, even after pressing the button, and they were just generally rude. Additionally, their side dish offerings had changed to items that aren't nearly as good and their brisket was super fatty. I know brisket is naturally fatty, but at Korea house nowadays, it is mostly fat. The last time we were there, we met the new owner. He was very obnoxious and boasted about the fact that he owns several Korean BBQ joints in the area now. I told him about the brisket being way too fatty and that I didn't prefer the new side dishes, but I didn't get the feeling he cared much and judging by other reviews, it seems I was right.
(2)
D S.

Don't bother!!! This used to be the "go to" place but now that competition is tougher in Irvine, this place decides to slack off.....huh? On two occasions now when every other BBQ place has an hour plus wait, this place barely had 2 customers. SCORE! But the reality is the service was ridiculously slow. HELLO there's only 2 other customers in the whole place. The side dishes used to be awesome but now they're just ok. So is the meat. This is the reason it gets 2 stars instead of 1. I absolutely hate turning on my once fav BBQ from years past, but listen money is money and I'm done droppin' serious cash on ehhh food and inconveniencing my servers when there are so many better ones in the neighborhood. This pains me more than you know :(
(2)
Jake K.

This restaurant deserve not even a one star. I rarely give out 1 or even a 2 star but seriously people we need to ban this restaurant from Irvine. I came here for business lunch with group of customers and ordered some soup and some main dish but the half of orders came out "1 hour"late(literatlly). So, others who got the dish had to wait and watch their food getting cold. In addition, they messed up with the order, some of dishes didn't prepare at all. They still charged us the Gratuity 18% due to the large(7 people) party, wow The biz lunch with the customer turned out to be nightmare one. PLEASE DON"T GO!!!! THIS PLACE NEEDS TO BE SHUT DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(1)
Edson H.

I have been coming here for years but this was my first visit under the new ownership. Now, let me start by saying, I am used to pretty shotty service at Korean restaurants so I go in with tempered expectations BUT this experience was completely unacceptable. We had to find our own menus as waitresses didn't even acknowledge us. It took 30 minutes for someone to finally come take our order and that was after 3 table bell rings and me waving them down. We had 6 people at the table and they only brought us one set of side dishes. My brother ordered some angus steak ($30) and they brought out one short rib cut up into little pieces and we laughed before getting really upset. The waitress apologized (you could tell she was embarrassed) and said oh, there's another plate coming out. Still, $30 for .25lbs of beef is insulting. The list goes on and on. It was Mother's Day too for crying out loud. Never going back here again and after reading this, why would you too?
(1)
Jerry M.

Came here with in-laws. Wanted to treat them to a Korean BBQ. We've been here before and it seems to be going downhill. Service is very slow. You have to ring the bell and even with this, it takes 5 minutes to respond. The quality of the beef is sub-par. Sides dishes are ok. When you leave, get a scoop of vanilla ice cream to clean your palette.
(3)
Tiffany L.

3 star for the food. And 1 star for service. IT WAS SO SLOW getting our meat!! We were starving... And the funny thing is.. Servers would walk by and try VERY hard NOT to make eye contact w customers. They avoided waiting on tables like the plague! Maybe it was a busy night?? I loved the fact that we got seated without a wait BUT I'd really suggest they look into their customer service. MEAT quality was fairly good. The only server worth mentioning was the guy who came around to change our grill. NICE GUY! Beef belly and garlic pork is worth mentioning.
(2)
D W.

If you value your bowels, don't eat here. I came here for lunch on Sunday and am still down with the nastiest case of food poisoning I've ever had in my life. For reference, I got the kimchi soup. My boyfriend got the kimchi combo set and also had stomach troubles afterwards. Other than that, service was extremely slow. It took about 25 minutes to get our hot tea and 35 to get food out on the table. I most definitely will not be returning.
(1)
Victoria E.

I first started coming here when vacationed in Baja, it was a pass through while visiting friends down south, then it became a tradition. Their BBQ was very good - get all you can eat to satisfy your cravings. Side dishes were great especially the steamed egg in a clay pot. Before my Korean American friend Elaine showed up, every staff asked what to order - they all think I am Korean. This happened so much in Korean restaurant that it becomes a routine for me to ACT like I know what to order. I don't but I pretended well. Plus I always order the nasty bits stuff which makes me authentically Korean, because it is something my people ate as well. My people are manchurians and we boarded Korea. David, who's white but has two adorable two Euroasian children, ordered japchae in perfect Korean, and that was one of the best I have had in a while. Nicole and I ate a lot of small dishes especially salad and tofu. Elaine explained the technique of making that steamed egg custard thing, which was amazingly similar to the dish my mother cooked for me when I was ill. So delicious and comes with dinner. Their cod roe with fish gut stew is the best in the area. I liked it even more than the same dish from Chung Ki Wa on Olympic Blvd. in LA, which is my gold standard for Korean food. For those who know me, my food cultural background bears resemblance to Korean and German cuisines. Which is to say, when I feel nostalgic and home sick, I eat my weird brand comfort food that has nothing to do with my official ethnic background. This is my comfort food for sure. Been coming to this exact restaurant for years. Once or twice year, I am here with my friends of 15+ years, and it is as if no time has passed.
(4)
Ming H.

This place is alright. We came in on a Saturday night around 7:00pm and the wait was not long. For some reason there seemed to be few people there that night. The seating is comfortable and they have good air ventilation. It still doesn't prevent you from smelling like KBBQ after dining here. Two of us got the all you can eat $19.99 and the remaining 4 got the $15.99. The lady server for our table seemed incompetent and I felt that I was going to get gypped on which dishes they brought out since this is usually typical of all you can eat KBBQ places. We made sure that they brought out each dish that we deserved for the all you can eat package we got so that they don't "forget" to bring out the more pricey meat that was a part of our $19.99 package. Make sure you get what you pay for and nothing less because they will try to "forget" to bring out things that you are supposed to get. I probably would not come here again unless they improve the training of their servers.
(3)
Shelly H.

Be aware of the SLOW service or NO services at all. No host to greet you and the serve wave you to sit down in one area. 30 minutes later, no one reach out to us. We use the calling button to try to get the server's attention. But if you dont speak Korean, forget it. They would not even serve you a cup of water. We end up walking out with an empty stomach. I waited for a week after calming down to write the review. I guess that I am not the only one received the horrible services.
(1)
Cindy L.

Came here last Saturday for my boyfriend's friend's birthday for the AYCE option. Not bad, considering it's Irvine but there wasn't a huge selection to choose from. I think for the $20 for AYCE bbq, it isn't bad so long as you are only interested in 4 or 5 options. I still would rather spend a little more to go to Gen in Huntington Beach.
(2)
a a.

I use to love the food here. I never found the service bad, and it is certainly closer than places in KoreaTown in GG and LA. Last night I went there and they served me very fatty, low quality beef for bulgogi. It was so bad, it was caught in my throat. I was choking and I started to black out. I finally swallowed it with some water. Not only is serving me low quality beef an insult, it almost killed me. No thanks. Also, while I was choking, there was no one around to ask for assistance, water, etc.. I had to help myself...elusive waitresses weren't doing much. It seems like the restaurant is cutting corners to increase profits. That doesn't seem to be working because the place is empty. I've been going there for more than five years...I won't go back.
(2)
Jay Y.

disclaimer: this review is solely based on the fact that it's in irvine. a lot of irvine people don't have the luxury of coming to LA and SGV to eat great tasting korean food since they live in a bubble. but that's okay... because Korea House is here. i've been here many times before and it's not bad. service is great, but slow. just don't come here if you are pressed for time, esp during the lunch rush. banchan is good, mul naengmyun is not bad, but their bulgogi has no flavor. but will i come back? probably... only because the lunch special prices are great!
(5)
Tina C.

The food here is average but the service is horrible. We went here for a group lunch on a Friday twice already. Bother times it took them over 20 minutes to get someone to come to take my order. Then another 20 minutes to bring our food, sigh. The last time they actually forgot 2 of our orders so the 2 people in our group never got to eat.
(1)
Anita L.

I remembered this place to be lackluster, but decided to give them another try since they're right down the road. My son had the all you can eat bbq and I ordered the yukejang because I didn't feel like a meat debauchery. The banchan has improved some from what I remember. They were fresher and more flavorful. The meats from the bbq were the same and for $19.99, the deteriorated quality at Gen is still better than this both in variety and quality. My yukejang was flavorless. It was rich in color but there was no taste. I added some salt and pepper which helped a little but overall, not good. I brought it home and doctored it up the next day and it was somewhat palatable. Service was non-existent unless you wave them down and it was a virtually empty restaurant when we were there. I really wasn't expecting much, but seriously, it was just as bad as I remembered and my son is not eager to return again. The only thing which improved was the banchan and I didn't think to check the bill if they charged for refills because I remembered they did the last time we went many years ago which is also blasphemous.
(2)
Mark W.

Your traveling to a Korean BBQ.... A place not only of sight and sound.... But of mind. The dirty tables .... The flies and poor service...... Next stop at the sign post up ahead.... Korea House BBQ in Irvine!
(1)
Eatzi M.

Omg this restaurant has some serious issues. We found not just a hair in our food but a clump of hair in our seafood pancake. We didnt see this we came home because we had been given two pancakes inadvertently. They comped us one bc they said they had made a "mistake". Wth does that mean??? Does it also mean spitting into ur food bc we asked for extra rice noodles too many times??! Our waitress made some rude remark when our kids asked for more rice crepes to wrap their beef. Next thing we know we get a "mistake" pancake with hair in it. See my pic! I can understand how one stray hair can get in there but a freaking clump of hair?? That has to be on purpose. I think the health department will be checking these guys out.
(1)
Lica N.

Korea House is where we call a few times a year to have food catered to the office for lunch during quarter end meetings. Sometime we go in to eat but it's a smaller group. When we get it catered its for over 20 - 30 people. They are very good with having all the food ready at the time we ask for it. Its packed up very well in containers and in additional bags to avoid spillage. Banchan ~ yelp.com/biz_photos/koreâ€¦ They provide us with a lot. With 3 containers of cucumber, radish and cabbage kimchi. Chapchae ~ yelp.com/biz_photos/koreâ€¦ is one of my fave type of noodles. Not too many in the office like it so we keep this order on the smaller side. Seafood pancake ~ yelp.com/biz_photos/koreâ€¦ Another item we order in smaller quantity except this last time peeps were tearing into it so I think they are starting to like it. Beef bulgogi ~ yelp.com/biz_photos/koreâ€¦ Lots and lots of beef. Spicy pork bulgogi ~ yelp.com/biz_photos/koreâ€¦ One of the bosses favorite so we do order a lot of this. Kalbi ~ yelp.com/biz_photos/koreâ€¦ The number one crowd pleaser for sure. This is the trays that always ends up empty at the end of the day. The flavors of everything we order is good and have never had any mix up with what we order. The banchan variety changes each time we place orders but that's all good because if there is one everyone likes we make sure to ask for it. We have so much food it's like having our own KBBQ buffet where plenty of us go up to fill our plates more than once. Even after all that we still end up with a whole lotta leftovers and some of us do put stuff away to take home. I have been on the winning end of many of these leftovers and my friends are happy happy! Eyes ~ Large restaurant! Nose ~ KBBQ. Ear ~ Lively eaters! Mouth ~ Tastes sooo good! Tummy ~ Whoa that was so much food.
(4)
Todd S.

Service was poor. Took 20 minutes for a waitress to bring us water and appetizers. Food was good. Price is $19.99 for all you can eat. Good value. Wish service was better!
(3)
Domenic D.

When we first walked in , it took them 15 minutes to be seated Than we were seated they didnt even take our drink orders. We rang the bell they never came to the table to give us waters. So we walked out..bad service ever! They only had 3 tables on a tuesday night. Im pretty sure the food was great but a bad intro
(1)
Anthony L.

I'm assuming I lucked out... cuz my service was decent and the food was amazing. Kinda fatty but good GALBI and the bibim nengmyun (spicy cold noodle) was amazing. I will definitely be back. I'm thinking of trying their Gamja Tang (Pork Neck bone soup thing) I heard it was good so I hope it is next time. They also had decent banchan (sides).
(4)
April B.

I wonder why so low reviews from my fellow yelpers, but we had a great time here, the food was great, the price was not bad for dinner which has kalbi in it, $19.99 for 27 items half price for kids. The meat and other side dishes came out fast, the owner even helped us start cooking, our kids loved the beef bulgogi. I would order the marinated pork belly over the non marinated one, but just in case you dont they give you sauces. Overall this is a great place, i would come back again. I understand about being under new management but usually it takes some time to get things settled, give it a try again :)
(4)
Christine N.

Maybe I'm a bit bias to Ktown in LA & Garden Grove but this place did not impress me at all. The meat was tender...yes! The Marinade was too sweet. I didn't think the cut of the meats were great cuts. I work down the street so if I was craving Korean food, this would be the closest thing in Irvine. But would I make the sacrifice of good food for convenience? NO WAY... The side dishes were not fresh or good. The Kimchi was bland and slimy. Maybe what Anthony C. said is exactly what I was thinking..."Kimchi was kind of weird and not really "kimchi - ish". Not sure how to describe it." It was just OFF and I couldn't eat anymore of it. What I did like out of all of the side dishes was the "Fishcake". It was decent. We came with a group and all of us thought the same thing. Def NOT worth a 2nd for the meat. Maybe if I'm craving soupy things, it would be perfect! SERVICE - They are pretty SLOW here but feel free to use the call button so they can come to you or you will be sitting there waiting patiently till they make the rounds. FOOD QUALITY - I wasn't impressed or thought they were good. I guess it's what you get being in IRVINE. NOTE - Yelpers that know me...when I don't even have a food pix for you, I was not motivated to even use my iPhone to take one. That alone will tell you exactly how I felt. :(
(3)
James L.

I'm surprised no one has talked about the best dish of this restaurant: the goat stew. Just a couple of places have it on the menu, and Korea House's version is excellent
(4)
Lucille C.

Finally found a korean restaurant worth going to around irvine area. We live in laguna niguel and to go to jumboree where it gets pretty crowded, this is a good place to have lunch and dinner without worrying about parking and the rush. Food was amazing! My fav of all is the korean sholip beef soup, the steamed egg and of course the bbq grill.-brisket in particular. There was so much option and they're all fresh! I would bring guest here for special occasion or with big groups of friends and family gatherings. The serving is a lot so be prepared :) thank you to the staff for giving such good service. If you're looking for asian flavor, definitely try it out!
(5)
Cathy P.

For a Korean restaurant, the food isn't bad. I have definitely been to better kbbq restaurants in the area, but as a Korean, I can say the food itself tastes fine. The service here, however, is a different story. They have a little button to push to call a waiter or waitress, but the system must not be working or something because no matter how many times I pressed the button, no one was able to help me. The waitresses and waiters never checked up on us and at one point, I stood up and waved my arms to this waitress to get her attention. I mean come on, what's the point of those buttons if they're not gonna pay attention to us anyways? And I feel like waiters and waitresses at Korean bbq restaurants should at least know to check up on people from time to time.
(2)
Emil C.

Everything about this place is decent but could be better. The location: This a very obscure location. You really can't see it from the street until you pull into the parking lot. It's located next to the IHOP. Parking spaces are shared with other restaurants and businesses but are pretty abundant. It can however be hard to get a close spot during lunch time. The food: I usually come here during lunch and get their bulgogi lunch combination. It's okay... not bad, not good. More often than not it comes to your table not very hot so you know it's been sitting for a while. The service: It is typical Asian service, all business with no exchange of pleasantries at all. So don't take it personally, it's just a cultural thing. They have a bell you can push at your table for service, but it usually falls on deaf ears as there isn't enough wait staff for the size of their restaurant during peak lunch hours. You can definitely find better food if you're willing to drive outside of Irvine. But this place will do in a pinch.
(2)
Hanna P.

I only come here for their lunch specials. $6.50 for your choice of Korean BBQ Chicken, Spicy pork, tofu soup or spicy glass noodle....some of my favorites. You really can't beat that price at a good sit down Korean Restaurant. Quality on all 4 of those dishes are pretty good. Of course you can order many other lunch special meals that vary from Kim Chee stew to Korean BBQ Beef Ribs but they are not $6.50. They even have Shabu Shabu. The last time I came I had their cabbage soup since I wanted something for my sore throat and it was alright. I would stick to the lunch specials or Korean BBQ Beef. Quality: B+ Quantity: A Value: A Service: B Ambiance: B All around a good solid Korean food spot for lunch in Irvine.
(4)
Jasmine W.

First time here, our service was poor. We were definitely forgotten about, what is the point of bells if they are ignored? The quality of the food was decent, the taste was pretty good. Hopefully, it was just a bad night. Also, maybe don't bring your Chinese friend to a Korean restaurant... Just sayin?
(3)
Sen S.

Wow... what a terrible experience. I've never seen such confused, low morale bunch of waitresses in my life. From the lack of service, to missing orders, to ignoring us; it was everything on the "made customer angry" list. Next up, the food... We ordered the very expensive kalbi, and it sucked. Dry, thin, rubbery, unacceptable. The brisket was just at average. How does a KBBQ place F up their meat so badly? The only thing that kept me from going ballistic on the manager was the beer. Never again.
(1)
Iris M.

Under new ownership!!! This was a favorite place for a great dinner on the way home from work. We often brought friends and family here. However, tonight's grand opening under new ownership proved to be disappointing. The food was ok, no better than before. They now serve the telltale potato salad--the kind that lets you know the KBBQ is divey; and the kimchi was far saltier than the inhouse made variety of the previous owner. What struck the "I'm never coming here again" chord, was watching the new owner (flying high, if you know what I mean) berate one of his waitstaff in front of a large party of customers. It felt a little like he was showboating for their benefit. It made me sick, sad, and resigned. It's a little devastating to have lost one of my favorite places to chill with my family. So sad to have lost the quality of the food as well as the customer care. And I'm really sad for our friends in the waitstaff who are no longer there. I'll miss seeing them gathered around the table in the back, talking and laughing as they prepared fresh dumplings. I will miss you, Korea House!
(1)
Alex O.

I'd really give this place 2.5 stars if I could. I arrived at 1:00PM on a Sunday for lunch with a few friends. I didn't get to order until 1:30PM despite pushing the "service button" multiple times. The side dishes didn't come out until 2:00PM, and the main dishes at 2:15PM. It's no crowded at all, but the service is one of the slowest I've seen. I got the $16 galbi and nengmyun combo. The nengmyun was pretty good but the galbi didn't impress. It was poorly prepared and the portions were really small. (There were two strips and barely any meat on the bones.) If you come in before 4pm and plan to get what I get, go with the lunch special. $6.50 for nengmyun and then order something else and you'll get more food for your money. Not at all satisfied with the restaurant, but I had good company and conversation to keep me busy.
(3)
Alex K.

Terrible service in dinner time, and the food was expensive rather than delicious. I dont recommend this korean restraunt to other people.
(1)
David C.

Things seemed to have changed since there appears to be new management. The service is incredibly slow now and they honestly don't seem to care. Too bad because this is/was my go to spot.
(1)
Rick B.

It has been a year or so since we have been to this restaurant, and after reading the reviews I was very reluctant to come back. But we came anyway and I am glad we did! The service was ok, not outstanding but not bad. We were greeted right away and drinks came and they took our order in an average manner. The food came and was very good! As this is a place where you cook your own food at the table, a few servers wait on lots of tables. The service was average, certainly not something to complain about. There was even a birthday party in progress and several families in the booths. Drink refills came as expected and the food was really good. Well worth the visit!
(3)
J J.

I had to make an account to write this review. If you're wanting a quick lunch, this is not the place to go. Every time I've gone, they've been horded and just don't accommodate with more staff. You'll get seated rather quickly, but they take ~10 minutes to grab your order. I rang the bell to grab their attention after no one addressed our table and a waitress came over, turned it off, and went back to another table. We only ordered two dishes and received the second one a while after the first one was finished. The food isn't awful for the price, but if you only have an hour lunch break, you'll probably have to skip this joint. Pay a little more and go to Tang 190 a little ways up the road. Great service and unlimited banchan!
(1)
Adam N.

Food and staff are sub-par. Staff is judgmental and not very friendly. Meat is very fatty. Water tastes mucky and they gave so much ice I could have done the ice bucket challenge. We came in thinking we could use a coupon for the all you can eat but they wouldn't allow us to use it. Apparently the coupon wasn't valid until 8:50 pm, and we can't use it because we walked in the door at 8. Who walks in to a restaurant like that at 8:50? Total bullshit. They wouldn't even let us use a separate $10 off coupon for the whole $150 bill. As we walked out the door one of the waitresses yelled at us asking if we paid. Seriously? So rude. For the amount of other restaurants like Korea House in the area it's definitely not worth it. Save money, have a better time, and go somewhere else.
(1)
Daniel C.

The service is great, food is better. I recommend kimchi pork and any kind of stews. Lots of banchan choices and big portion of entrees. Also great place for korean bbq and big groups.
(5)
Daniel L.

Came here with my korean family a few days ago and was extremely disappointed with the quality of meat. The banchan was good however, but the kalbi and bulgogi were absolutely horrible. The kalbi was very chewy (inedible) and almost all fat. The bulgogi was cut very thin and also was full of 80% fat. 15 minutes after the meal i got a splitting headache, which I assume was from the MSG-heavy marinade on the meat. They also have a sign on the coffee machine near the door that reads "Danger: Hot Coffee," which we thought was hilarious. Coffee from those machines are always hot, so it's not exactly dangerous.
(1)
Kay P.

I mean, this restaurant was here for the longest time i can remember! I actually really appreciated and enjoyed their lunch deal! It's 100% traditional Korean palettes (lil sweet) tho.. and that probably explains some bad reviews,, alongside the staff being not acknowledging of menu (probably lack of language?!)... I speak the language, and lunch deals were very decently priced ($6.50 - $8). I wouldn't complaint so much to get this quality of real Korean food in Irvine. (it has gotten better over the years to be exactly stated) I would recommend you to try lunch specials rather than ayce!
(4)
Tania S.

We used to dine at this restaurant quite often back in the days. Now that there are so many new Korean BBQ places in Irvine, this place has dropped from the top favorite restaurants on my list. We went on a Friday night last week around 7:30 and the restaurant was not even 1/2 full. There were a handful of larger parties in the back but nothing like you see at Shik Do Rak or Gen. This place offers AYCE as well. The Brisket is a bit thicker than the other places too. We ordered AYCE for two and also Kalbi a la carte. The Kalbi was pretty good, the first two batches of brisket also not too bad, but on our third order, the edges of the brisket was dark brown. Pretty disgusting looking. The service was ok, the ajumah's were pretty nice, some restaurants have some mean ones! Especially when they know you are not Korean. The guy up in the front was also very nice, he was younger and spoke perfect English. Something you don't see very often in these restaurants. Even though the restaurant wasn't full, the smoke was intoxicating. My contact lenses were about to fall off mid dinner. It's a shame that this place has fallen behind after all these places opened in Irvine. This is the closest place to our home and I was a bit disappointed with the quality of the meat.
(2)
Natalia N.

Food is ok. They never have any good side dishes but the meat is good. This is the 2nd time I gave this place a shot. The first time we were here the service was horrible. Server never came by, forgot orders, ran out of food never brought the check on and on. Today was exactly the same and they even ran out of rice paper. WTF? Anyhow this will be the last time I come here.
(1)
Marylou K.

I hope the owner really listens to what their customer are saying!!! I know owners have changed and waitress have left. The taste of the food has gone down tremendously and the service I received with a party of 12 with very few people in the restaurant was so bad! I was embarrassed to have invited my family and not deliver! I've been going to this restaurant for over ten years and I have seen a huge decline since ownership has changed! I will now be taking my friends and large family somewhere else! It's too bad that a restaurant in a great location and from a beautiful culture stopped taking pride in their food and service!
(1)
Erin B.

If I could give this place a 0 star rating I would. I have been to my share of Korean BBQ places but this was the all time worst! Probably my worse dining experience I have ever had. I was so shocked by the poor service, and literally was appalled. I do not know how they are still open, but for those of you out there looking for korean bbq hit up GEN, ALL THAT BBQ or anywhere else because this is the slums of all KBBQ. Run away and do not come here! I have to say their frost bit free ice cream is totally not worth it on their best day. I will start with coming in. We came in, sat down. After sitting for around 15 minutes, them seating others beside us and giving them their drinks, and not us. I tried to let it go, and roll with it. I quickly realized this wasn`t going to happen. Another 10 minutes or so we choose our menu we decide on the 15$ menu and the waitress lights our grill doesn`t bring our side dishes, or food for another 10 or so. We get our first order finally, it looks okay, (thin sliced beef), and just after placing all the meat on the grill the fire goes out. We ask to have it re-lit, the waitress runs around, avoids us for a while then finally comes over, lights our grill again. We ask for more meat, chicken bulgogi, and some other items squid etc. As soon as our meat is out, she comes and decides to tell us that even though we have been ordering from the 15$ menu after we asked for it, that that is no longer the special, and we were going to be paying 20$ for the bigger menu when we had been only ordering from the cheaper menu. After being frustrated again, we start on our chicken bulgogi and decide to order two more things from the larger menu. Suddenly she starts saying `we`re out of this, and that`. Then our grill goes out again, she takes even longer to relight. On top of that when she returns she tells us `It is last call!` and that they`re out of pretty much everything, and we cannot order anything else because they`re `closing up`. It was an hour and a half before they closed. Not only did they lie to us but they did their best to keep us from ordering anything on the higher dollar menu that they were charging us for. I stood up because, well I didn`t believe them. And sure enough they started seating more and more people, lighting their grills after turning ours off. The waitress we had saw me glaring at her, I mean I was really mad when I had only had some beef and some chicken for 20$. On top of that the chicken had had a weird flavor and strange texture, the squid was super fishy almost sour and tough, and we could hardly eat any of it. I wanted to complain about it but forgot when she came over and tried to explain her lies, they `decided not to close early after all`. But I thought you had no meat left? Not true either? Of course not, suddenly they had more supplies for the `other` guest. Terrible terrible terrible! No apology or anything. The next day all 3 of us became very sick, nauseated, sour stomachs, and felt like we had food poisoning! Yuck! I question their quality of meat and their overall quality of service was very poor. Please avoid this all together, it`s not worth your health, or money to get sick for little bad quality food!
(1)
Libby W.

Apparently if you are not Korean, you will not even be acknowledged! Absolutely the rudest service ever. The table had food on it and there were flies everywhere! Stay as far away as possible. I hate that I had to give this place even 1 star.......they do not deserve it!
(1)
John T.

We wanted AYCE KBBQ on New Year's Day for recovery meal part two. Oops guess fitness isn't on the NY resolution just yet. Looks like we weren't the only people with this idea as all the rest of the local alternatives had super long lines so we settled for this place. On to the review! Ambience: Who cares, it's KBBQ Food: 3 stars Service: 2 stars Price: $19.99 AYCE Good ban chan, had a good variety. Only had the chadol, it was good. The one dish they gave us were huge so we didn't order more. Not much variety for AYCE. Service a bit slow, maybe they were understaffed idk. The ladies were nice but super slow. Had to ring the bell a few times and sometimes they still forgot. Basically a okay place in a pinch but I'd rather somewhere else if they weren't busy. Price was more expensive than the local alternatives too. Probably will be back for their lunch specials though.
(2)
Ted W.

This place has gone downhill!!!! I have been coming to Korea House for about 5 years now and I just love the place. I love the staff, I love the food, everything about the place makes me happy. I have had several birthdays here and have even take my Korean and Japanese friends here to show off the place.... and they loved it! However, recently (the last 2 or 3 trips) they have made some serious budget cuts. The menu has been changed to 3 versions of the all you can eat BBQ. Even if you pay for the best one, the quality of meat and side dishes has gone waaaay down. The salad used to be leafy and green with delicious korean dressing, now it's like coleslaw-y mushy goop. The bulgogi was really low quality meat the last 2 times, I'd recommend sticking with the brisket only. The side dishes used to be awesome stuff like fish cakes, baked egg treats, different variations of kimchi, other creative dishes...now it's bean sprouts, a couple half cooked black beans, radish, rice noodle, couple bits of steamed veggies. I think they have great service and have no complaints there, but man, food quality just tanked. So sad. I understand they have to make money, but it just doesn't feel like the same delicious taste experience anymore I'm very sad to say :(
(2)
Jared G.

The service is was pretty horrible. I can't rate the food given that we walked out before even having the chance to order. I can say that we waited longer than 10 minutes after getting the menus; so we left.
(1)
Franchesca W.

These people are flat out rude!!! They sat us and never came back!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME! They served tables that were all around us that were all sat after us... It's a fucking joke people. Do not waste your time. We got up and left without eating. Obviously they didn't want to serve us. Is there some sort of protocol to place an order??!? I mean HELLO!! They appeared to be blatantly racist towards us. I really have no other explanation. Don't eat there unless you are Korean or you won't be acknowledged. ALSO, extremely unsanitary. Flies buzzing everywhere. I'm sure they will be shut down very very soon! Probably for the best!!
(1)
Al S.

I just paid an visit to this Korean bbq place the other night. I usually go to All That BBQ in Irvine, but they were swamped so decided to go here. It's very clear why this place is never busy. Their service was seriously the worst service I have ever experienced at a Korean BBQ place. They didn't come to take our order for over 15 minutes. When they finally came, they turned the grill on, which only half the grill worked. We complained that there was gas leaking for 10 minutes before the manager finally came and fixed it. They took the order, brought out the first plate of meet, placed it on the BBQ, and didn't actually bring any plates or utensils until after the meet was burned. They didn't bring out any sides until well after this. To top it all off, they overcharged us by $30 after splitting the bill. They charged my card $95 instead of $65, and reversed it after I complained. Unreal. Never going back. All That BBQ in Irvine is definitely worth the longer wait.
(1)
Kristin Y.

Food was very good and our male waiter was wonderful! We paid him a generous tip, all cash, and it was a huge group he did all by himself! As we were standing outside the female waitresses sent him back out to ask for their 15% tip. He ended up putting his tip in their tip jar to share. Outrageous! They did nothing and the management is so dishonest to let this happen. He did all the work, we never saw a female waitress for 3 hours. We will not come back, we cannot support unfair treatment of employees. If you don't serve a table, or serve it well, you don't get tip! He served us well, he got so mistreated!
(1)
Kristin P.

I am such a big fan of Korean BBQ, especially when you put "ALL YOU CAN EAT" into the equation. And for only $19.99, their selection includes: - Beef Brisket (My absolute favorite) - Pork Belly (I don't eat pork, but this is my boyfriend's fave). - Chicken & Beef Bulgogi (Amazing marinade!) This restaurant is NOT afraid to give you A LOT of food. When they say "all you can eat," they MEAN "all you can eat," so come in with an empty stomach. :) Remember, you're not just getting meat, you're also going to be given sides along with your meal! Customer service isn't bad. Almost every time I've gone here, there's this one waitress that always serves us, and she tries her best to do what she can to make sure we're happy customers - whether it's refilling my water a million times, changing the grill, refilling our side dishes, or even being SO NICE as to allow my boyfriend and I to enjoy our food without rush, even after closing. We did feel bad for coming in late, so we did rush ourselves a bit. The reason I gave this 4 stars is because there are several other waitresses and waiters that aren't as apt in customer service. Overall, this is one of my favorite Korean BBQ restaurant locations. Good service, amazing food! I love me some meat! Hah
(4)
Howard S.

Under new ownership, and it's bad. It's now operating at a $9.99-quality AYCE level at double the price. Service has become slow, you can tell that the waitstaff that used to be there is dispirited, and the new ones just don't care - or are instructed to serve slowly. Went there with a bunch of friends, and was disappointed when they "ran out" of certain basic banchan items (they clearly didn't), and the AYCE meat slowed to a laughable crawl. No more large sized Hite either. Even the waitress was embarrassed, whispering that they were under new ownership. It's like the place was taken over by Kim Jung Un or something, and they might get sent to a labor camp if they provided customers with decent quality meat and service. Stay away - time to explore other options. Message to the new owners: I'm not sure if your business plans is just to bilk new customers who don't know any better yet, but word spreads quickly, and you've killed this place. Your bad attitude and penny pinching might seem like a good idea in the near term, but I guarantee that if you keep running the business this way, you'll be closed within a year. EDIT: Goodness, people - if you don't want to go all the way to k-town, or even garden grove for decent kbbq, just head down Jeffrey Rd. for five minutes to Shik Do Rak. I'm just going to assume that the post-ownership-change five star reviews are from people who haven't been around the kbbq block...
(1)
Sue K.

Korean bbq...must i say more? There were 6 of us and we ordered the combo meal #5 - we started off with tongue, then thin brisket, marinated meat (bulgoki), and the belly meat. ON top of that they gave us bo-ssam, steamed egg, and soup. Meat and vegetables were fresh. service was amazing - different ladies came by to take care of us. the #5 is $105 - includes drinks (if you're into soju, they give you a bottle, if not, you get 5 cans of soda).
(5)

Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.

Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.

Address : 5305 University Dr
Irvine, CA, 92612
Phone (949) 552-9998
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :11:00 am - 10

Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes

Claim Restaurant

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.

Search Your Favourite Restaurants.

Korea House

5305 University Dr, Irvine, CA, 92612

Korea House Menu

Johnson Z.

Scott C.

Food Finder G.

Kim D.

Ashley W.

Robin C.

Michael K.

Sophia Y.

Aaron E.

Christine C.

Chad S.

Paul H.

Marko C.

Jeffrey C.

Judy B.

Jesse C.

Rob C.

Jennifer Y.

Mike M.

Jeannie C.

M K K.

Jae K.

Cheryl D.

Won Y.

J L.

Ernest H.

Teresa O.

Steve O.

Sai S.

Wnll K.

Alan T.

Anthony C.

Evan L.

trina l.

Audrey N.

Eunice K.

Romuel Dave C.

Justin B.

Kara M.

Danny B.

Joshua L.

Cameron L.

Jessica F.

Tirah N.

Angela C.

Bradley C.

Lillian T.

Christina Y.

Cliff C.

Debby L.

Sheena T.

Joseph C.

Yvonne C.

Lynn L.

David E.

Jimmy B.

Andrew N.

Andy P.

Chen C.

Kanae F.

Danny H.

Jin L.

Tony M.

Laura M.

Alessandro M.

Mary M.

Kitty S.

Ali P.

Kathleen H.

roy c.

Joey L.

ChloÃ© C.

Hap N.

Skyler V.

Tom J.

Annie K.