Driving thru Indianapolis and needed a good Korean fix. Wasn't very confident that we would get a legit experience, but behold... Mama's! Panchan was delicious and abundant. I think we got like 15 panchan plates. We ordered the seafood sundubu and the japjae. Both delicious! Only gripe is the prices. $13 for each!? Well I guess it was worth it for the panchan! Will come back if we pass thru Indianapolis again!
(4)
Heather T.
I was weary of this place because of the area, but it's definitely a diamond in the rough. The decor isn't anything special, but the servers are knowledgeable. The cool thing is that they are a Korean BBQ restaurant, so they have normal tables as well as BBQ tables where you can cook your own meat. Something fun for the family, or a date. We started out with the Wontons (pork) and they were good, not spectacular. For an entree I had a pork and kimchi saute, which had wayy too much spicy sauce. Not that it was too spicy, there was just mostly kimchi and gochujang left on my plate. They could have added a bit more pork. The thing I love about this place is all the side dishes you get with your entree (as in most Korean restaurants). It came with about 15 different accompaniments such as different kimchis (cucumber, cabbage, bean sprout, daikon), potatoes, bok choy with sesame, little strips of cooked egg, etc. My friend had the bulgogi (I told her it was something safe, since she had never eaten Korean food before) and she loved it! It came out on a sizzling hot platter and was seasoned very well (it's not spicy for anyone wondering). I would definitely return to try something different. A hidden gem in Indianapolis.
(4)
Lauren D.
So I truly use to LOVE mamas house. We use to go quite often but haven't for the past couple months. So we are about to move to Philly and the last place I wanted to go back to in Indiana was mamas house. We had the worst service. I don't know if our server just thought we didn't know what we were doing but he was absent most of the time and to busy eating his dinner then to bring us our plates so we could get to cooking and eat ours. So we sat and waited finally I got up to get plates and when we asked for more pickled vegetables since we were snacking on them while waiting for our server to get back he said we couldn't get anymore. I was frustrated by the whole experience since I was so looking forward to going. We also wanted to start out with a bottle of cold unfiltered sake and that was even hard to get. They do carry it but he thought I wouldn't like it. I know what I like..... And we had the wings as an appetizer before getting the bulgugi and pork belly. I feel we ordered enough to be allowed some extra kimchi. I left just feeling frustrated.
(3)
Justin L.
Best place in the midwest for Korean food. Enough said. But since that's not quite enough for everyone else to work off of... the food here is simply the best Korean food you'll find in the midwest. I live in Chicago and San Soo Gap San is the only comparable place you'll find. I've tried several dishes here over the course of the last few years and I've never been disappointed. If you go with someone familiar, there are some dishes not listed, and there's a great selection of panch'an (side dishes). Everytime I'm back in Indianapolis I always make a stop in for food. Ambiance and service. It's Korean BBQ, so don't expect it to be mahogany tables and white table cloths. They are very well ventilated and you will walk out with a bit of BBQ smell, but I've never minded. Service is good and I've never had a problem here, but I have noticed better service when you're with someone Korean speaking. But that's no different than any other Korean restaurant. Overall, a definite must if you like Korean food.
(5)
Shannon P.
The food deserves 4-5 stars, but the service was terrible. We had fried wontons and a large scallion pancake as appetizers. Both were excellent. The banchan was very tasty and we had the beef house special and pork on the grill. All the food was wonderful. However, we had a member of our party arrive a little later that was never offered a menu, drink, or chopsticks. We needed to flag down servers to get chopsticks and for him to order. No one ever came by to ask about water/sake refills and we all had empty waters midway through the meal that weren't addressed. This wouldn't have been so bad if the restaurant wasn't already so warm from all the table side grilling. We probably waited twenty minutes for our check. We really had to flag down our waiter. He walked right past the table a few times without acknowledging our attempts to get his attention. He removed our grill right as we were finishing, which leads me to believe that he was aware we were finished. Altogether, the good food outweighed the bad service, but we will probably try out Bando down the street before returning here for a Korean BBQ experience.
(3)
Carrie A.
I would give this place a 5-star if they kept their awesome egg soup at lunch. It's okay now, they alternate between miso and radish soup. Enjoy! Great value.
(4)
Caroline C.
GREAT lunch specials. They have a lunch menu of about a dozen items, all starting at $5.99 up to $7.99. Comes with condiments, egg soup and your choice of fried or steamed rice. I got the Chop-Chae. It's a 'transparents sweet potato noodle with vegetables and beef in a soy based sauce'. I liked it to break up the monotony of always getting bolgoogi or bibimbap. My friend got Kalbi (which takes longer). It's worth the wait. The condiments are alright. The kimchi is very spicy and I love the cucumber one. The potato one was a little bit of a disappointment, it's usually sweeter. Can anyone teach me the names of these? This place is pretty darn authentic. It's huge and they have a banquet room all set up for karaoke. Not sure when their karaoke nights are, but wow, looks like it would be a blast.
(5)
Huntting B.
So here's the thing. Normally I only review based on the food of a place, but occasionally service leaves such a bad taste in my mouth that I have to lower the review because of it. This is one of those situations. The food here was actually pretty good. They have a very limited soon tofu selection, and by limited I mean that there is only one option. It is VERY soupy, not stewie at all, which isn't the way that I like it. But more than anything, all I remember from my experience here was when I asked for a raw egg to add to my tofu soup, as she walked away hardly looking back she said three words to me, and only three words "Lunch no egg," and walked away.
(1)
Brandon S.
I've enjoyed many ethnic foods: Indian, Italian, Greek, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, and Filipino... but none are as inedible as Korean. THE GOOD: Seaweed rolls... served warm with meat and other vegetables. Yum!! The service was spectacular, they quickly obtain your order, and, shortly after, bring you your food along with lots of other dishes. THE BAD: Cuts of meat! I had the Large short ribs that were supposed to be marinated for 10 hours... maybe they were... it was just hard to tell because the ribs were EXTREMELY fatty. No taste whatsoever to them. My wife had the Chicken Saute.... over half of the meat was fatty. I don't know about you but when I spend $15 for a plate of meat it better be good... instead I almost lost it a few times attempting to cut through the fatty delicacy. It was like trying to chew through thick bubble gum. They also bring out a whole variety of other food. It's like a whole country said, "Let's pickle everything!" Picked cold and uncooked potatoes? Check. Like cold pickled greens (rather slimy)? Check. How about some fermented cabbage? Check... I kind of like Kimchi. Pickled onions... they have those too. The pickles they brought out were great and so were a few of the hot vegetables... but really the annoying thing was spending soo much money for meat that should only be served to my dog.
(1)
Rudy L.
First time dinning at a Korean bbq restaurant with my wife and they made it a great experience. Amazing service with a knowledge able staff. Great price point for a Korean BBQ restaurant.
(4)
Marianne L.
BEST KOREAN BBQ in town! I take all my friends there. They all love it. I LOVE the dol sot bibimbop and all the side dishes.
(5)
Jessica C.
I've been going here since I was a baby. Best Korean barbecue and "Mama" treats her regulars like family. The atmosphere is slightly disappointing but I go for the food. It doesn't get more authentic than this!! I've been to Korean restaurants in Chicago, LA, Orange County, NYC, Ann Arbor, Purdue, San Francisco, Korea, etc. and Mama's gives as many sides as a true restaurant in Korea would. Try the Dolsot Bibimbap if its your first time trying Korean or the Bulgogi. If in a group, try the barbecue. I like the thinly sliced beef (chadobagee). Korean miso soup is my favorite but I personally like it better at Bando's.
(5)
Anna W.
I was extremely excited to try this place. I have had Korean BBQ before and it was amazing! When we came here, I was disappointed. We had told our waiter that it was our first time there. He wasn't helpful with suggestions. We ordered the table top BBQ short ribs, beef and chicken among other things. The food wasn't flavorful and the service was terrible. We tried to get our waiter's attention several times and he didn't respond. We didn't get our rice until we were almost finished with our meal. We waited forever to get our drinks refilled. I had high expectations considering it was listed as one of Indy's best restaurant. Definitely left disappointed.
(2)
Kate H.
This is the only Korean food I've ever had, so I don't have anything to compare. I definitely enjoyed it, though. I also couldn't tell you what in the world the sides actually are, but I liked them (they all tasted pretty much the same). I love taking family and friends from out of town to this place. However, the last time we went we had 5 people and the server acted upset that only ordered 3 types of meat. I think he wanted each person to order their own meal, but we wanted to share and try everything. He didn't come back to check on us and didn't change our grill so it got pretty gross. There were maybe only 4 or 5 other tables, so it definitely wasn't because he was too busy. We still spent well over $100 with drinks on top of the meals, so I'm not sure why he got such an attitude. Too bad for him, because he didn't get as much on his tip! The other experiences I've had were good. Overall, the food is good and the experience is unique. I've had success with even the picky eaters in my family. Just be prepared for your clothes to stink when you leave ;)
(4)
J C.
I've been here about 5 times, and this would have been a 4 star review except for the most recent time I went. Service was AWFUL. Hopefully I caught them on a bad day. I'll be back and give them another chance. Besides that last time, every other time has been very good! The food is delicious and the staff has been very friendly and accommodating of a white boy that's new to Korean cuisine. The only criticism on the food, is that the beef they use could stand to be of slightly better quality. Not nasty by any means, but a bit on the cheap side. Their shrimp tempura is better than any Japanese place's I've ever been. The prices need to be dropped by about $3-5 on every entree. Still worth it, though.
(3)
Karena S.
The only bad part about the experience I had here was how long it took us to get our bill. We probably waited for that as long as it took us to eat our food! However, the food was delicious, everyone was very friendly and I liked the atmosphere. I got a soup, I forget what it was called, but it was delicious. Towards the end of my bowl, I was pleasantly surprised by a large clam. The kimchi (I think that's what it's called) came with the soup, about 12 different kinds, all in white bowls. Also, I would highly, highly recommend the green onion salad, which I also happily munched on. Lots of food=my tummy was very happy and very full when I left! This was the kind of food that I'll be craving soon; a craving that only Mama's House will be able to fill.
(4)
Ron C.
The meats were seasoned well and the place was much less smokey than most other Korean BBQs due to them having exhaust hoods at every grill table. That was a great touch! It was really nice since I had to catch a plane right after and I didn't have to stink up the plane! I'm not big on all of the side foods that they provide so can't really judge it on my own but my Chinese friend said they were all very good. I don't like things that are pickles so I wish there were other choices. Overall, a great experience and some tasty food. The $20 combo special on Sunday was just the right amount of food.
A couple months ago, I spent the weekend at Fort Harrison State Park and used Yelp to find places nearby to eat. Mama's House had good reviews, so I decided to check it out. Overall it wasn't bad. Not too hard to find, easy parking, busy enough to feel comfortable but not too busy for good service. They give you lots of side dishes (even me, and I was alone) and a good portion dish. As for the food, I ordered the dulsot bibimbap, which was okay, but not as good as what I'm used to in Cincinnati (for the same price, which isn't cheap). So in the end I was satisfied, but not impressed.
(3)
Dawn T.
Sitting here on this snowy Saturday afternoon, thinking about the hot grill with sizzling meat in the center of the table at Mama's Korean restaurant. My mouth is still watering thinking of it. I had the beef bulgogi and my son had the spicy pork bulgogi. Both dishes were delicious and the assorted condiments (accoutrements) were as good as main course. Actually, my son may have enjoyed those even more than the main dish. He loved the smoked squid and the little tiny fish. He is a more adveturous eater than I when it comes to fish and seafood. I quite enjoyed the various pickled vegetables, particularly the radish dish, which is odd, because I typically don't care for radish. The service was incredible, particularly considering the size of our party, as we atteneded with the Yelp International Supper Club. My son ended his meal saying "This is the most fun meal I've ever eaten."
(5)
Lim K.
Mama's house was our favorite restaurant to go to on Fridays before moving out of the state. While passing through Indy we stopped for supper last Saturday. Though we had not been there for several years the food still tasted great and the mama was still cooking in the kitchen. The flavors of squid sautee and spicy skate fish were excellent. There were so many dishes we wanted try but unfortunately, we were on the road so any leftovers will be wasted. The next visit we will definitely grill some kalbi and spicy pork. The only thing different was kimchi. It was not what we used to get and did not have good flavor. However, I miss mama's all the time since there is no single Korean restaurant in where I live.
(4)
P B.
This ranks as some of the best k-BBQ I've had, even compared to NYC, SF, Tokyo, and LAs K-town. Authentic, well-seasoned, and delicious. Perfect with several glasses of Asahi.
(5)
Thuy T.
My favorite Korean place in Indianapolis! Looking for some new, try the do it yourself BBQ with your friends. You select the kind of meat you like and then grill it yourself right at your table. The marinade for the meat is a lot better than its competitor, and the sides also seem fresher as well. They carry this side that I don't really see other places have, pickled garlic and jalapenos. My favorite meat selection is the spicy pork, it's flavorful and grill up really juicy. The service can be a little disappointing at times. Some times you really have to wave your hands and feet to get attention. Recently I've been getting a new lady who is so cheerful and sweet, and a younger gentleman who is very helpful. Hopefully they will stick around.
(4)
Leigh S.
I love Mama's House. There is no better way to warm one's soul than a piping hot bowl of silken tofu soup on a chilly fall day and Mama's is more than happy to fulfill that need. Portion sizes are ample plus you get the fantastic array of Korean salads and pickled veggies with your meal. It's fun to pick from the 10 or so dishes that they give you for a culinary delight. We had the Korean BBQ once. It was also tasty, though a little spendy and at some point I got splattered with beef juice, which ruined my lucky purple shirt. That's kinda unlucky. However, unlike most Korean BBQ places which have gas grills on the table, Mama's used charcoal. It was so delicious!! Perhaps this will also be a nice treat in the dead of winter, grilling over hot coals... we could almost pretend it's summer. The staff is very friendly and will spend time helping you with the menu, if you're unfamiliar with Korean food. Overall, Mama's House has a good vibe and has made my list of regular jaunts.
(4)
Shellye S.
Mama's House is very good when it comes to BBQ and banchan. I've only tried the kalbi, the LA kalbi, and the bulgogi so far, but they're all very good. The kimchi is very good and tastes homemade. The only downside was we've also been here for non-BBQ lunch and weren't as impressed. The yangnyeom (fried chicken) wasn't very good - too much bad sauce. The naengmyeon (summer noodles) was also less than impressive and it's an enormous portion.
(4)
Michael E.
A bit pricey but man oh man was it good.
(4)
Alex K.
If you are hungry for Korean look no further. If you have never eaten Korean food it is fun and is served family style as you cook your own dinner on a grill that is inserted in the middle of the table. Korean food is pretty similar wherever you go (Including Korea) so this place is on par with anywhere I have been but at least they cook on real charcoal. My favorite dishes here are the Gochujang Sam Gup Sal, Kimchi jjigae, and Kalbee. A few of their Ban Chan (Side dishes) are also really good. The ones that come to mind are the pickled garlic (which you can buy from them in a giant jar), and the cucumber kimchi.
(5)
Janet S.
Came here for a rehearsal dinner of about 50 people, we were seated in the back room where we were served buffet style set up down the middle of the room that just about went from one end to the other. There were so many different dishes, but since they weren't labeled I'm not sure what everything was! The kimchi and other pickled vegetables were amazing...I especially loved the daikon. I also really liked the tofu served cold in a chili sauce. Actually everything I sampled was tasty, my only complaint was that most of the hot dishes were only lukewarm, and I wish they would have set them up in some chafing dishes or something because I think they would have tasted even better hot! I also really liked the Korean beer, Hite - enough so that I was doing my own commercials for it, "Hite is tite!" (We were waiting to do some karaoke, so I was getting ready for that by drinking a few tite Hites) I am looking forward to going back for the BBQ experience, walking in and out of the restaurant and seeing all the people grilling away on their tabletop flames looked really fun...and smelled soooo good. I will be back, and hoping I can bump them up a star with a new review.
(3)
Sunah K.
With all the ethnic food popping up in Indy, I'd hoped that there would be more Korean places. This was definitely the only Korean joint in town when I lived here about 10 years ago, but I remember it being better back then. Unfortunately, the staple bulgogi was not so impressive--tough and not well marinated. Even the bibimbop wasn't that great--a big bowl of rice with veggies and a fried egg mixed with spicy sweet chili paste was over run with bland raw veggies that were not really Korean style. The spicy wings were good--sticky and sweet/spicy. And they have Makkuli (not sure how to spell it in English)--rice liquor. All the little sides were great. But my parents who were in town and wanted Korean food were really disappointed. It's a neat place to take a group of (non Korean) friends to grill meat at the table and order something different from everyday Asian fare, but i probably won't be back with family. If we want a Korean meal, we'll probably head to Saraga market and make it ourselves.
(2)
Liz M.
Best Korean food you can get! We have been going to Mama's house since it was down on 21st St, oh, 20+ years ago? My childhood memories are filled with dinners at Mama's house! "Mama" knows my family when we walk in the door, even though 1) I don't think she speaks English, and 2) we know 3-4 words in Korean (so please forgive my spelling in this review). I think Mama has started to be slowly phased out of the kitchen. The bulgogi has a little more fat on it than I remember, and the bi bim bap has less bulgogi in it. However, the lunch special is unbeatable. In addition to the entree you choose, they serve egg drop soup and Korean side dishes (kimchi, pickled radishes, cucumbers that look similar to kimchi, and something else). It will definitely fill you up. My favorites are the bi bim bap and the bulgogi. Chop chae and kahlbi are also recommended. I ALWAYS get the yukki mandu, which are deep fried dumplings, yum! You can't go wrong at Mama's house. Delicious food, good price.
(5)
Liz D.
We were having a bummer of a night and really wanted sushi. All the Japanese places were full to the brim and really annoying for our toddler we had in tow. So, we decided on Korean. I have to say I was not excited. I didn't want to try a new place but I am SO glad we did!! I have never been to Lawerence but it was worth the trip from SoBro for this amazing place. If you are one to judge a book by it's cover, you might immediately turn around. MaMa's House is situated in an old worn out strip mall. The inside is nothing to marvel at but it was extremely comfy and welcoming even for a two year old. The service was outstanding and very helpful. We wanted to try the makoli but weren't sure which flavor, the server was so helpful and even told us a story about working in the fields picking rice. She was all smiles as she reminisced about drinking rice wine. It made me want to order every flavor. We ordered bebeem bop which was offered traditional (cold) or warm. We went with traditional and it was great. The chop chae was seasoned perfectly. Of course, am saving the best for last, the 12 side dishes were absolutely outstanding. My best friend's husband is Korean and I have been to many Korean restaurants and this Kimchi is the best I have ever tasted. They also have a BBQ tables that the couple next to us said were awesome. Can't wait to go back for the lunch specials. Can't wait to go back and try something new!!!
(4)
Richard H.
I have absolutely no idea whether the cuisine at Mama's is "authentically Korean," but I do know that it is tasty. For my first visit, I had the Dolsoet Bebeem Bop, which is rice and veggies served in a sizzling stone bowl; it was delicious. But the dozen or so side dishes (banchan, right?) -- boiled egg and garlic soaked in soy sauce, cucumbers, kimchee, some kind of dried fish in an amazing sauce, bean sprouts -- were especially fun to sample. The service was really friendly and prompt -- the server took time to explain each of the side dishes to us. The space itself is larger than it looks from the outside, and the decor is, well, tired. They really could spruce the place up a bit. They do offer grill tables as well, and they apparently have karaoke sometime.
(4)
Kevin S.
If I could give Mama's a 10 I would. Very Authentic and absolute perfection. We will be back many times.
(5)
Philip D.
Oh man Korean BBQ again. Ive been to multiple places around the country Chicago la event toronto. But this place is the best! It may seem odd having the best Korean BBQ in Indiana? Yes this location is extremely good much much better than the one in Bloomington. Ok now to why it is better. The side dishes at the start are good and there are plenty of them 10-15. Service is kind and fast. The BBQ on the grill is good quality and the marinated meats are well prepared with a solid prep. The meats are soft and good. But what makes this place different from all the other korean bbqs I've been too is the grill it self. All of the other stores have gas flamed grills. Which is ok but this grill is a coal grill. They bring out hot coal and that is what you grill with! It has so much more flavor that you will honesty never want the gas grill again.
(5)
Gordon C.
so i've been craving korean bbq for the longest time.. the first meal with my buddies whenever i fly back home is often korean bbq i'm sorry if this is the most insulting review i've ever written but everyone who rated this place 5 stars has got to be kidding me.. that being said.. here goes.. i did yelp this place so maybe i got my hopes up way too high? so my buddy and i ordered the bulgolgi (marinated beef) and the kalbi (marinated short ribs) dinners main dish, bulgolgi: very little marinate, no flavor, the meat was a little tough.. i'm sitting here thinking about how there are so many positive reviews on the bulgolgi but this was the worst bulgolgi i've ever tasted in my life.. worse than the shit i make.. 1/10 main dish, kalbi: this was more flavorful and more on par with what korean bbq is suppose to be like.. but the meat was not good quality.. 4/10 both main dishes were very small in terms of portion size.. smallest portion sizes i've ever eaten.. after finishing the meat all i could do was sit there, drink the water, and eat the small dishes while reminiscing about the AYCE korean bbq places in k-town small dishes: this was the only redeeming part of the meal.. there was alot of variety.. i'd say at least 8 small dishes.. nothing jumped out at me but variety was awesome.. in terms of small dishes at a kbbq places, imo, variety is undervalued.. (most AYCE places it's really only about the meat and the esteemed kbbq places only serve at most 5 small dishes).. one thing that sucked though was that there was no salad.. but then again.. why would there be a need for salad if there is barely any meat?????? (fiber - for anyone who has never experienced the day after an AYCE night).. 8/10 - despite not having salad service: terrible but the guy was sooooo nice about his terrible service.. 1) we didn't get rice with our meat.. we had to flag him down.. now.. flagging him down was hard to do not b/c he was busy (there were only 4 medium sized parties there).. he just spent so much time not being attentive.. 2) i never got my water refilled and i probably finished most of it by the time the meat was out.. 3) lastly besides trying to jip us with the rice.. i swear he tried to jip me of the sweet rice tea (but again i guess it's not necessary to clean my palate since there wasn't much flavor nor was there enough meat to give me constipation) thinking about how much i paid for this meal and my anticipation for having an insane positive nitrogen balance tomorrow.. 2 stars is awfully generous
(2)
Mark W.
Okay I admit I am spoiled, in San Francisco I could walk to a half a dozen Korean restaurants. Cold, overcast Sunday and craving Korean, I trust Betsy's reccomendations so off I went. I had to go around the block twice, thinking I must be in the wrong place, but on the other side of the construction sure enough, there is a Korean restaurant, Mama's House. As I came in the waitress was sleeping (literally) head down on a table, not a good sign. Only person in the restaurant ordered Bulgogi and was pleasently surprised, everything was very nice, more than enough to eat and besides being the only person in the restaurant and noise from the television it was a good meal. Thanks, Betsy
(3)
Nikolai S.
Super nice staff and a really fun place! 7 of us got a "grill table" and dined on the spicy pork and various appetizers. Highly recommend the spicy pork, it was amazing!
(4)
Betsy A.
Though I don't get there as often as I would like due to the location, I love Mama's House! There used to be another Korean restaurant in Fishers, but now I think Mama's House and Bando are the only two left?? At any rate, I've never tried Bando because Mama's is such a sure thing. The restaurant is easy to miss thanks to its very unassuming location in a strip mall that has seen better days. The last time I was there, the parking lot had more potholes than not....but that may no longer be the case :-) However, don't let the outside scare you away - Mama's has fab Korean food. The first time I went I was immediately transported back to a college friend's dinner table. She was Korean and I knew I'd found some good eats when I recognized several items at Mama's that my friend used to cook for her dinner parties. I've had both the traditional Bulgogi dinner and the Bibimbap. It is hard to say which I prefer. The bulgogi is nice if you have a larger group and the experience of Bulgogi is definitely unique...you cook your own meat over a charcoal brazier built in to the table and then assemble Korean-style "tacos" with lettuce leaves, rice and bits of the Panchan - Korean side dishes that are like relishes and pickles (the best!!!) - and some sauce. The Bibimbap is like Korea's answer to a noodle bowl. In this version, you'll get a bowl of rice topped with a variety of delicious and perfectly prepared vegetables, some sliced meat and perhaps an egg (optional at Mama's House), plus just enough chili paste to make things meld together ideally. Serious comfort food in a single bowl! Like the Bulgogi dinner, Bibimbap at Mama's House comes with a number of Panchan (side dishes). These little morsels are probably what I love most about Korean cuisine....little bites of Kimchee, marinated mushrooms, beansprouts, cucumbers....you get the idea. The panchan are also replenished as needed at no extra charge, so if your party finds something they really like, you won't run out during the course of your meal! If you haven't tried Korean food and you are an Asian foodie, you must make haste to Mama's House :-) PS: everything here goes down extra well with a Korean beer.
(5)
Angelica G.
You can smell Mama's bbq right as you pull in to park. The surroundings look, well, a little sketchy. From the free pregnancy testings and liquor stores you might want to turn around and get back on 465, but all my Korean friends said this was the best place in town, so I had to go. From the mouth-watering smells and the Korean karaoke going down, I was eager to see what the food would be like. We decided to order individual items from the menu, and that's where we made our first mistake. Just order the barbecue for your table and dig in if you visit Mama's. The other stuff (soup, jabchae, kimchi) did not compare to Korean food I have had in the past.
(3)
Lauren R.
Food was ok, but I've now been sitting waiting for my check for over 30 minutes. Unacceptable poor service after we receive our food our sever seemed to disappear...So did his tip.
(2)
Tony J.
my favorite restaurant in indy. been to other korean restaurant in los angeles, new york, and atlanta, and this place is as good if not better.
(4)
Sarah S.
Mama's House is a humble little gem tucked away in a strip mall on Pendleton Pike, but you won't be disappointed in the food. Come here with a big crowd and fire up the coal barbecue pit, conveniently located in the center of your table. You can choose from a wide variety of raw meats and then have fun grilling them yourself. If you're adventurous, give the baby octopus a try, although I admit that seeing their little tentacles curl up in a very life-like fashion from the heat of the grill is a bit much for me to stomach. The eight million delicious relishes that they bring you are sure to please as well. If you're not up for the grill (although, frankly, I can't imagine why you wouldn't be), the bulgogi is always a surefire bet. I also love the plum wine, though be forewarned: it's very sweet.
(4)
David C.
Simple atmosphere but amazing food. Go hungry because there will be a lot to eat - as in most typical Korean places, your entree comes with a variety of side dishes like kimchee and other pickled foods.
(4)
Natalie M.
I'm not a huge fan of Korean food, but found Mama's to have very good food and friendly service. The Full Korean Dinner is worth the try if you've not sampled much Korean food. You'll get seared beef w/rice and seaweed and approximately 20 small dishes of various kimchi and other sides. For those with a less adventurous palate, the Korean BBQ fare would be worth a try.
(4)
Kenny Z.
I have visited here multiple times and never encountered any major problems. I have visited different Korean restaurants all over the world, I would say this one is not bad at all, staff was friendly as most other Korean restaurants (but just seemed to be under-staffed). Slightly pricy (as it indicated $$). Order the Korean dishes only though. Tried chicken wings once and they were definitely a no-go.
(4)
Juichia C.
Very similar to Bando, but I think a little cheaper. It's definitely not the best Korean food I've had, but it's not bad. They serve the food up pretty quickly, but after that, you'll have a hard time getting their attention again for anything else. So get everything you might want at once. The pickled cucumbers are very tasty.
(3)
Zak D.
Authentic Korean in a casual atmosphere. Be sure to try the BBQ table. Mama does it right. One of my favorite places to eat!
(4)
JR W.
Now that I've had Korean food in Indy, I feel like my stay here will be just fine. Phew.
(4)
Swt P.
Living in Indianapolis and having young children gave us many good reasons why we have only visited Italian or any other chain restaurants. Well, it is Indianapolis anyway - the capital of chain restaurants in the US!!! But this time, our family finally ventured out to a Korean restaurant. Mama's is one of the few Korean restaurants in town that many friends of us have talked about. It is located in the strip mall on Pendleton Pike. If you are not familiar with the area, try to go there during daylight. The restaurant is split into 3 different areas - regular tables, barbeque and banquet room. People greeted us as you walked into the restaurant, and we were seated immediately. The smoke from barbeque area smells very delicious. However, we chose to seat in the regular table for the "safety" of our children. The food was delicious (as we were dying for Korean food - we ate almost everything), the portion size is perfect, the side dishes were great... My kids loved the bulgogi and spinach. Thumbs up - according to them. However, bulgogi and bee bim bop - perhaps needed a little more splash of sesame oil, food temperature could be a little warmer and the the taste could be a little hotter... Perhaps they "altered" the taste for Americans... :-(( Price is a little bit too expensive for the size, location and quality of the food - $15 for bulgogi dinner and $12 for bee bim bop... I had Korean food in different cities in the US (LA, Denver, Chicago, NYC, etc) for less... oh well.. I will probably (maybe) come back to this place again. Next time we will try to eat at their barbeque table.
(3)
Daniel G.
Went there kind of late. They were very busy. A lot of family's there. Finally was seated and ordered the Spicy Pork. Great dish. Lots of food. The small plates of veggies were really good too. I made the mistake of not having someone with me. Many of the specialties are made for two only. I can't wait to go back to try some of the charcoal grilled beef dishes. Left very full and very impressed with the food quality. Fine dining. No. Service, not great and hard to understand depending on who you talk to. I did see a plate of RAW beef short ribs sitting at the table next to me for at least 30 minutes. They eventually went away. Still a fan though.
(4)
Rebecca U.
A great place to go for Korean food in Indianapolis. I think the best time to go is for lunch, they have some great specials. The bulgogi is my favorite!
(4)
WILLIAM P.
Good basic Korean. It takes a lot to get a 4 or 5 from me! Remember being here two years ago and enjoying the food. No Frills, when they use real charcoal for you to grill the BBQ Combo of Beef, Pork and Shrimp you know it is authentic. The family also enjoyed Boolgogi, Kelbi and Squid Saute Lunch Specials. All recommended, but the squid was a little chewier then my last time here. Service was efficient and not Unfriendly!
(3)
Nadya Y.
Second time we visited this gem. I love Korean food and it's hard to find authentic place in Midwest USA. Found this on yelp and agree with reviewers. First time we had Korean BBQ, second time had bibimbap. Both were delicious, as were the multitude of side dishes that come with any meal (free refills too). I had hot green tea (they call it barley tea here). Great tasting food, lots of veges so you feel good about eating here. Service is fine, sometimes takes a while to wave down the waiter. It's located in a dodgy part of town (bullet holes in shopfront round the corner!) but you drive here there were no problems. Will definitely return to get my Korean food fix.
(5)
Ravi P.
Good: BBQ style, overall experience, kimchi and seasonings, sides Bad: Really bad service and quality of meat
(3)
Brittany S.
Say what? I forgot to review Mama's way back when - and, now, come to think of it, I'm overdue for my next visit to this budget-friendly and flavor-packed eatery. I especially recommend checking out Mama's House for their lunch specials (I believe all were well under $10!). Fun fact: Mama's was recognized a few years ago by Indianapolis Monthly Magazine as one of the top 25 restaurants in Indy. All lunch meals come with an accompaniment of dozens upon dozens (okay, slight exaggeration) of sides like pickled veggies. This place is perfect for those who love to sample and loathe picking just ONE meal. This way, you can kinda sorta have it all in one seating. Better yet, ask your dining pals to play family style to maximize diversity. Large menu: you're bound to find something that strikes your fancy. I opted for a noodle/soup-like concoction filled with steamed vegetables and an egg on top. Delicious! Note that the vibe in here is on the weirder side of things - fairly dark and extremely quiet.
(4)
Joshua V.
My wife is Korean. This is where we go when she wants Korean. Authentic food. Great side-dishes (very important). And I like the grills on the table, what more could you want.
(4)
Tamara Q.
I've been to a similar place in Chicago and this was comparable in experience if not better. I'm talking about the amazing Korean BBQ experience. I can't vouch for the other stuff on the menu (Kalbi, Bibimbop, etc which did look a bit overpriced)! BUT the bbq experience is authentic and delicious. For starters for about 27 bucks per person (if you share the special with another)!you get about 10 different side dishes ranging from pickled radish to kimchee to fried tofu. You cook your own meat, 2-3 different kinds on a grill right in front of you. Sure it's labor intensive but the meat is so good and pre-marinated in spicey and sweet mixture different for pork, beef, and chicken. It's filling and yummy and makes you feel like you just left Indianapolis for a hole in the wall in Korea Town. Give it a chance if you are adventurous or want a true Korean experience in Indy. It is well worth it.
(5)
Kristina D.
I have always loved Mamas Korean restaurant. I think they still have one in Bloomington, Indiana. That was a pretty good one from when I remember. Mamas gives you more vegetables in the Banchan (little side dishes you get) than Bando Korean restaurant down the street.
(5)
Jimmy K.
This would've been a 5 star only if it wasn't so expensive! The food is amazing. I'm a native Korean born and raised and this place serves some legitimate Korean food. I understand that it's rare to find a Korean restaurant around this area but it is quite overpriced. Any soup should cost ~$10 but you're looking at about ~$15 here. If you're only concerned about the taste/quality, hands down 5/5!
(4)
Alisha R.
I'm super sketchy about...ok, all things. Of course I went in questioning everything even though this place has come highly recommended. This place is FANTASTIC! So many sides! Something for everyone! We had family visiting from out of town and we ordered a few main dishes and an appetizer to split among 9 of us. We got to try a little bit of everything and everyone was surprisingly pleased. Some of us did the bbq while the others came already prepared. Overall, to please 9 people with very different preferences I'd say they nailed it! Great service too!!
(5)
Pam H.
Food was excellent (and has been every time we have gone), but the service was terrible. We would get part of the food but not the coals to cook it, no refills on drinks, etc. very disappointing as we love Korean BBQ and it's the only one around.
(3)
Timothy H.
Stopped at Mama's Korean Restaurant for lunch on the way to Keystone Crossing. The place was nearly empty so we were seated quickly. Looking through the menu titles, most of them said DINNER at DINNER prices ($15 at least). We asked if they have a lunch menu but they said they didn't. Oddly enough, there's Yelp reviews about a ~$6.99 lunch specials with photos to prove it. Oh well we ordered our entrees. They brought out 12 side dishes. Most of them didn't taste good except the potatoes and spicy dried fish? The bibimbap I ordered was average. For $15 I expected more. Vegetables weren't fresh, hot sauce was salty, and the protein was chewy. I finished about half of it before feasting on the potatoes. (I love potatoes). Service was poor. Despite having 5 occupied tables and 2 waiters, we waited a few minutes each time to get water refills and more potato side dishes.
(3)
Christina G.
Smelled like stale cigarettes. VERY expensive. Nothing under $15.99 even the soup was expensive.
(1)
Derek S.
This place is awesome! The food is excellent, and he service has always been pretty friendly.
(5)
Jac H.
The staff are incredibly nice. The food is pretty good for what you think it would taste like in Indianapolis and the not so large korean population. I love the rotating side dishes. My coworkers order from here for lunch at least once a week. Alot of coworkers first time eating korean food was from here and they now love korean food! I wish the bibimbap came with the gochujang sauce on the side, not mixed in. The kimchi jigae isn't that great but the beef tongue soup is pretty good. I wish the tofu soup (jigae) had more fresh seafood.. I also wish I could crack my own egg into my jigae's instead. =
(3)
Christin J.
Spent Friday night at Mama's house. The place was pleasantly full, and we were able to make a reservation and be seated immediately at a BBQ table. We ordered tea (not great) and dumplings (ok) but the real treat was the BBQ. My husband and I got a sampler (around $42?) of chicken, beef, and pork. They were absolutely phenomenal. All the sides were great and we enjoyed sharing with our table of 4. We had a great time cooking over our grill and it was a fun way to spend an evening. Would definitely recommend a visit!
(4)
Edward C.
Decent Korean restaurant. Came in for lunch and ordered "boolgogi." Meat was lean and had the right amount of flavor. My friend got their wings, which had a thick, sweet and spicy sauce. Interesting taste those had. Sadly, they don't accept American Express here.
(4)
Alex S.
My friend and I got kbbq here - it was awesome. We ordered the mixed meat special of chicken, pork and beef because we wanted to try a little of everything. Everything was super delicious - the chicken was surprisingly spicier than the pork and beef. There's noraebang in a back room, that was super fun because there we could hear a party doing it in the back while we ate. While we were there, a group of like 10+ high school kids were eating here. It looked like the restaurant did very well with them, so I'd say this place is great for a larger party of people - you just get two barbeques put together instead of one. My eating partner and I quickly found out that I sucked at cooking the meat (I wasn't very organized with my "meat layout") - but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it in the future. It was still fun to try. There were a LOT of banchan, and we knew what most of them were. Only one we didn't recognize, but tried it anyway. Definitely will return, the experience was fun and the food was delicious! Worth the money. If you go here, try to keep an adventurous attitude.
(5)
Sean C.
Well, this time, not so good. We ordered Galbi and Bulgoogi BBQ, and paid about 55 dollars for the 2 dishes, tax and tips included. The portion sizes are small. No one came once during our meals except bringing us our food. The small dishes (in the size of coffee/tea cup holders) that came with the meat were great, but when we asked for some refills of them, they obviously felt surprised and told us that they can only refill at most 3 of them. Well, that made us surprised too since this is the first time that a Korean restaurant refused to refill the banchan. It's a Korean tradition. Anyway, won't go back for a while; korean restaurants are famously expensive for what it's worth, but Mama's gave us one more reason to not to go back.
(2)
Bonnie C.
I was hoping the food was better than the reception. It wasn't. I ordered Kimchee Jigae shrimp fried rice. The soup was reasonably spicy, but the flavor was masked by salt. The sliced pork was an inexpensive cut that took some chewing before I could swallow it. The shrimp in the fried rice was the cheap salad shrimp about the size of a fingernail. I liked the brown rice, but I didn't like what seemed liked mixed vegetables and the abundant black pepper seasoning. To be fair, I'm spoiled by the more authentic Korean restaurant I've visited in my travels. The food wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either...a tad pricey for soup and rice.
(3)
Julia C.
I graduated over the weekend and there's nothing like having a taste of home after a big celebration. All the panch'an was so tasty, Dillon tried to block me from eating any--piglet :P I'm sure the wait staff thought we were weird; chopstick fighting settled everything!! I had yukgaejang and it was perfect for the chilly weather we had over the weekend. It warmed my filled my belly and warmed my soul. ^__^
(4)
Bawi M.
This was my first Korean restaurant I ever tried. This place is a must go. I really love the place. the food was tasty especially their Kimchi is very good. We had a great time cooking over our grill and it was a fun way to spend an evening. They have the best Korean BBQ ever.
(5)
Violet S.
What a hidden gem! So excited to have discovered a new asian restaurant in Indy. The menu was so unique and very similar to our experiences with Authentic Korean bbq's in Asia. Definitely scrumptious and fun! Downsides: It's a little on the pricey side and the portions of rice could be a bit more substantial. But overall, it's a great place for a nice night out! Don't let the surrounding area scare you away.
(4)
Phi N.
The banchan was the best part. So many dishes and so fresh. The main food was just okay. I got the soondubu, pork belly, and galbi. The soondubu was very watery and not spicy enough (even though I asked for the hottest). The pork belly was normal pork belly, nothing particularly special. I prefer when they fry the pork belly, whereas here they just mixed it on the grill with the galbi. The galbi was just okay too. Not enough marination. I don't understand why koreans never want to offer the marination sauce as a dipping sauce after the meat is cooked. It would be so good. Service here was good and very friendly.
(3)
Al L.
I took a real Korean person hear from LA and he said it was good, probably the best Korean restaurant in Indiana. They bring a set of hot coals to cook the food at the table, which is different then the typical gas top stove. Side dishes were good portions were good, but one dish will feed one hungry guy. Probably cannot be split on a date unless you eat lite. I will come back many times in the future. Make sure you realize that it is in a small strip mall, the it is easy to miss unless you have the gps on and listen to the directions.
(5)
Thuy An N.
The seasoning of the meat is wonderful.
(4)
Melanie J.
I have never eaten Korean food before. I tried this place for dinner and had the combination fried rice which included shrimp, chicken and beef. It was very good. My friend had the beef dish and fried rice. The sides are unique but very good and colorful. The kimchi tasted very good. Liked the idea of having the grill at the table...it was different and fun...I was a little impatient though because I was very hungry by the time I got there. Cooking my own food meant I had to wait a little longer and eat a little at a time, but I wanted to experience Mama's House the way it should be. Overall I had a good time.
(4)
D M.
Located next to a liquor store at a dilapidated strip mall in a downscale neighborhood, Mama's is legitimately a hole in the wall eatery. The atmosphere is not that cozy, and the restaurant has a very dated feel to it. You'd think, "oh, they must have affordable food!" Sorry, but no. The dinner menu has no entrees under $14.99 and most of the entrees are $19.99 and up so prepare to spend a lot of money. Indianapolis needs more modern/contemporary Korean dining options. If this place is the highest rated ones, that shows how badly the Asian food scene here needs updating. But if you are craving Korean, this will have to suffice for now.
(3)
Nobuyuki S.
What was I thinking, being cynical and all? It's difficult to find a good restaurant, even Korean restaurants. Sometimes, the food is good and the service is awful and it can be flip-flopped, and I've been to places where nothing goes right, and no one cares. (Speaking of being difficult to find, this one is on the south side of Pendelton Pike in the last strip mall west of Post Road.) Forget that, I was met shortly after I entered the building--there seemed to be 3 doors, each showing something different, and I was a bit confused. The waiter/host got a menu and took me to a table. Soon afterwards, he asked me if I wanted something to drink. I still hadn't decided what to eat. I thought that the prices were somewhat high, compared to restaurants in Ohio and Florida and Philadelphia. Restaurants in the LA/OC area are likely the cheapest in the U.S.A. since the ingredients in that area are also the cheapest. (I thought about the Ginseng tea but at $3.00 per cup (consistent with other restaurants), I found it pricey considering that I have a whole box of the Ginseng Gold at home and the Honey Powder that together cost me about $12.00.) I ordered an Al Jji Gae (fish egg stew) and at roughly $3.00-$5.00 more than usual, I had hoped that it had sufficient ingredients. I haven't had it since a certain Korean restaurant in Florida closed. I waited and the waiter brought everything out at once. Now, I'm accustomed to 6 ban chan (side dishes) with a jji gae but there must have been 10 or 12. I concentrated on only 3 of them. I was expecting that the jji gae would be served in pottery and that I'd deal with a metal bowl of rice with metal chop sticks. The metal pan for the jji gae threw me, as well as the porcelain rice bowl and the warubashi--broken/breakable chop sticks. (Sorry for the Japanese, I'm not sure of the Korean term.) The food was excellent. The fish eggs were as good as I've ever had, the radishes, clam, tofu, and spicy broth added to a wonderful meal--and possibly some euphoria. I was pleased that the waiters spent some time talking to me. I think I always surprise other Asians because they see my Caucasian side first (there is always some Asian in a CaucAsian, isn't there? Think about it!) They asked me if it was too spicy, which it wasn't. I didn't eat so many of the peppers but they added to the taste, instead of just being spicy or acidic, as you get in some restaurants. In any case, the interaction was good, and learning how other people do things is wonderful too. I'd make a bad Korean, as I pick up my rice bowl, for example, although that's difficult in most Korean restaurants due to the metallic bowl being hot but the bowl at this place was porcelain/stoneware. I'm guessing that this is the best Asian restaurant in the Indianapolis metro area with great food and great service and people who care.
(5)
Jillian B.
I was a little iffy about this place, but do not judge it by the exterior. the food is amazing, plenty of sides, and very generous portions. the whole experience is a fun way to spend time with friends/family.
(5)
Jessie S.
Couldn't help but notice all the raving Yelp reviews about this place, and had to try it! I grabbed my most open-minded, foodie-centric pal and headed east (this is not a part of Indy I typically travel). The place isn't much to see from the outside, but it's definitely worth the experience. The experience: I knew going in I'd get to grill my own food, but not until there's burning-hot coals dropped into the center of your table and the server leaves you with tongs and a plate of raw meat does it sink in. Taking turns playing grill master and throwing all the stuff in the bowls on the grill was a blast. And, not only was this a fun experience, the food was really, really good! The only downers: You pay a fair price for all this food and fun - about $20+ per person. Also, don't plan on going anywhere afterwards - you smell like a smokehouse (like go home and throw everything in the wash and take a shower intense). I wouldn't go every weekend, but special occasions; sure!
(4)
Dalanza F.
Food was great but their service was lacking. We ordered the chicken wings, kalbi and chicken fried rice.
(4)
Tony D.
Came here somewhat out of desperation when visiting Indy on Thanksgiving and finding few places that were open. As a native from the Bay Area, I was very impressed with the Korean fare served here. We got the japchae and spicy pork as many had suggested, and both were delicious. They were also extremely generous with their banchan selection--a total of 12 different dishes, even though we were only a party of two. Definitely recommend coming out here just for this. The liquor store next door is indeed sketchy; keep your valuables with you rather than in the car if possible.
(4)
Ko T.
The server is super rude. We have three people and order an appetizer, one full dish and two BBQ entries. Upon the refill, we asked the server to refill for the side dishes and he looked at us and said we can only refill for three side dishes. We are okay with paying extra for side dishes but the attitude the server gave us is rude and impolite. Not recommend people to coming to this restaurant due to rude service.
(1)
Justin S.
For some odd reason, I've never thought to write a review for Mama's. Huh. We've tried a good portion of the lunch menu. The Kalbi is smoky sweet and beefy. Wooguji soup is just the right spice heat. This I relish and eat slowly. The Yuk-Gai-Jang entry can be eaten almost entirely with chopsticks, then slurp the soup. What's difficult to chow on with the chopsticks is the Soon-Tofu. Loaded with soft tofu and small pieces of mussel, shrimp, beef and squid the proteins and veg are easy to pick up. The tofu takes a special skill to grab with the 'sticks. Gingerly cradle, lift out of bowl, dab on top of the rice, slurp! The rice by itself is one of the best in the city, possibly the country. High praise, right? What's surprising, but don't know why, are the 4 dishes of spiced turnip, spiced cucumber, kim chee and radish. Pleasantly fresh and great with the meal. Can't wait to try the BBQ.
(4)
Patricia N.
It's still great! Though service can be a little off at times. (During lunch, the soup usually arrives before the meal - not after.) Oh well... Their lunch specials at $5.99 are still reasonable, although the Kalbi (short ribs) are now $7.99. I still enjoy other favorites like Boolgogee, Chop Chae, or Bibimbap, but my "go to" now is the "Spicy Pork Saute." For me, it's the most the most flavorful dish they've got for lunch. The spicy squid saute is equally delightful, but I just don't think I could handle it in mass quantity. For those of you new to lunch. Here's how it works. You choose an entree. Soup comes - Mostly Egg Drop, but sometimes Korean Radish Soup (Mu Guk/Moo Guk) or Miso Soup. Banchan arrives - 1) shredded white radish in a sweetened vinegar sauce 2) cucumber kimchi 3) cubed radish (daikon) kimchi 4) kimchi Shortly thereafter, your hot plate comes out. Enjoy!
(4)
Neil S.
MaMas has an excellent spread of Korean dishes with ample side dishes to go with! If you have ever been to Korea and like the food or want a decent introduction I would recommend these guys here. The or tofu stew is very good; the or Korean 'full meal' with galbi and soybean soup are good too. The or soybean soup was a little too salty but otherwise perfect. Didn't have it this time but the barbecued selections also looked good! They are only missing and here.
(5)
Bob L.
This is the best Korean restaurant in Indianapolis -- and of all the Korean restaurants I've tried, I can sat that Mama's is the best I've had in the Midwest. All of the food is authentic and if you go mid-afternoon between lunch and dinner, you'll probably see the restaurant staff socializing and eating around a big table. The service is pretty hands off, so you'll have to grab the waiter's attention whenever you need anything -- don't be shy.
(5)
Dom C.
Good Korean food! soondobu (spicy tofu soup), Spicy squid, Galbi, Samgyupsal (spicy, marinated pork) are my favorite. They have lunch specials everyday until 2pm. Service is slow but it totally worth going to.
(5)
Tahreem A.
Good food. The side dishes were my favorite. I also recommend the boolgogee. It was awesome!
(4)
Aimee N.
During my trip to Indianapolis for work, I was really craving some good Korean BBQ. Found Mama's through Yelp! and after looking at the menu online, I had to go try. Really wanted to do the BBQ option, but you have to order two dishes which eating by myself while traveling on business was going to be too much. I decided to get my order to go and went with the galbee dinner. plenty of food for a great price! I got all the great side dishes of kimchi to go along with it and that is one of my favorite parts. this meal can easily feed two people. It came with two large portions of short ribs, big portion of rice and again all the yummy side dishes that I love about Korean food. If I didn't need to leave the next day, I would have reheated my leftovers to eat again, it was that good!
(4)
Leslie H.
Mama knows it best! The food here is delish. It's as authentic as you can get. The restaurant is located in a sketchy area. It's a hit and miss when you're driving. Once you park, just lock your cars for safety. My hubby and I tried the house special bibimbap and the spicy pork and they were delish. It came with at least 13 different kinds of banchan (little dishes). They have the usual cabbage kimchi, pickled mushroom, bean sprouts etc. my favorite is the pickled garlic and jalapeño. It will truly knock your socks off. They also serve a cup of rice, lettuce and bean paste. Spread some of the bean paste on your lettuce, put the meat, roll then enjoy. The only draw back is the price for the house special dinner. It's a lil on the pricey side with not enough meat for a carnivore like my hubby. However, it was delish and truly worth visiting.
(5)
Ntianu S.
My visit to Mama's House was, um, quite the experience. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. Would I go back, maybe, but wouldn't be in a hurry to go back. The menu is large and can be overwhelming. The question is, what in the world are you ordering? We honesty had no idea what to order or had a clear understanding of the various specialities. The staff was not very helpful at explaining the menu or being able to help us better understand what they had to offer. This was my biggest complaint, which took away from my experience. It took us well over 20 minutes just to figure out what the heck to order. I opted for the Jeuk Suk Wang Kahl-bee which you prepare over an open flame (a la the Melting Pot sans the oil!). It was a neat experience. The meat took awhile to cook making it difficult to fully enjoy the experience. I honestly think I should have been tipped because due to my proximity to the grille I was forced to help prepare most of the meat. With all this being said, I still think it's a cool spot to go to at least once, but don't expect stellar service and if you choose the speciality dinner be prepared to put in work!
(3)
Mai K.
Good food (if you know what you're ordering). Bad service. I've been here twice. The first time I made the mistake of not taking my Korean friend with me. I didn't understand the menu and the server was one of the worst I've had. He couldn't explain to me what each item was when I asked, nor did he care for refilling our drinks or sides. (The restaurant wasn't that busy at the time) The second time we had a Korean lady coming with us and she was able to tell me what to get and not to get. Food was good, I really enjoyed the side dishes. But they lost me at the service quality.
(3)
Christine K.
I love mamas. It Indy doesn't really have much korean food but mamas does a good job of making my homesickness a little better. The food is authentic and people are friendly. It's pricer than most other cuisines but I think it's because the food prep is so extensive. They have a nice BBQ combo that could easily feed 3 adults for people who have never tried korean BBQ. Their other soups are great too. The only downside is the area it's in.
(4)
Sonya A.
I love Korean food! But this place was lacking. The service was pretty horrible and then food itself just wasn't flavorful and fulfilling. I wouldn't return. Food: 3/5 Service: 3/5 Location: 3/5
(2)
Katherine P.
Korean BBQ is always delicious and they follow suit. They give a nice amount of side dishes. Had a party of 10 so were seated in the back banquet room. Table had two BBQ grills on both ends so very convenient for everyone to eat and cook and even for those who didn't want to cook. Ordered a variety of proteins which were all ample amounts and were deliciously marinated, but pork was pretty spicy though. Order the black raspberry wine, bottle cost $15.00, served in little shot glasses. Not the nicest of decorated or upscale restaurants, but food was delicious!
(4)
H.J K.
Not many Korean restaurants in IN.. Our family visited IN and it was our first time to visit this restaurant because of yelp's review. Foods were just okay to me but not for my children.. We ordered Wang Galbi and LA Galbi from Kitchen instead of using the grill on the table which was our mistake and both my children didn't like it... Other foods were not really good as what Yelps reviewed.. Just one time was enough... Finally... Service was not really good neither... They seemed to care of only grill tables...
(2)
Ashley P.
This is a regular haunt for lunches, the best time to come with the reduced menu prices. The sides are varied and you can always ask for an extra of your favorite. The pickled cucumbers have quite the kick to them. Service can be somewhat scattered as things get busy, but food generally comes out rather quick. They have recently changed their soup, and don't expect fried rice on the menu. In all, one of the better lunch locations in the area.
(4)
Sal K.
So, this place is the exact opposite of Bando (see my other short review)... The service is good, food is "meh." This place has much more variety than Bando, but I prefer Bando's seemingly more authentic feel of a Korean restaurant (including the food) to Mama's Place. The Soon Do Bu which I use as a benchmark to gauge Korean Food worthiness is a bit bland at Mama's, as is the Dolsot Bibimbap.
(3)
Tiffany T.
Not the best Korean food I've had by a long shot, but it takes the cake for best Korean food in Indianapolis. I've been here three times now, and the service is consistently bad. I've been there both at peak dining hours and when the restaurant was all but empty, but it still takes the waiters a ridiculously long time to get drinks and take your order. It might come as a shocker to some waiters, but we can see you standing around and doing nothing. As for the food, it's pretty decent. I've tried the BBQ (kalbi, beef tongue, bulgogi, etc.), and the marinade is done well. The kimchi pancake is a little greasy for my taste, and was brought out a bit cold. The bibimbop was very standard, and the soups are hit or miss. The banchan is yummy, and they'll give you more of what you like (if you can manage to flag them down). Overall, not bad and when I'm craving Korean, it's the place to go.
(3)
Jason W.
Let me first start by saying that I have passed this place many, many times without ever giving it a thought. Well, the other day while perusing the area for something to eat my boss and I stopped in and had a bite to eat. It was not his first time but it was mine. I believe that we ordered Yuk-Gai-Jang and it was freaking amazing. instantly warms the body which is great as it was only 20 degrees outside. The taste was wonderful and with each bite it got better and better. You will get some of their side dishes which are also pretty good. The next day I couldn't stop talking about this place so my friend/boss and I went back. This time we got Mama's special beef. It was good but if I had to choose between the two dished Yuk-Gai-Jang wins it for me. Not saying the beef was bad because it was not, the beef is the Korean version of BBQ and comes with a large variety of sides and items. Everything seems pretty healthy and tastes out of this world.
(5)
Jen F.
This place is amazing. Amazing is such a cliche word, but Yelp doesn't have a thesaurus. My husband dragged me here against my will a few weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon. It was a complete surprise until we pulled into the parking lot. He didn't even put the name into the GPS, he just put "Surprise." "You are now arriving at SUPRISE on right." ... and what a surprise it was. He even ordered for me, which he saw as romantic. Coupled with not being able to pick the restaurant, I saw it as totally controlling. "Two Dolsoet Babeem Bop, please." Before our Mmmm Bop arrived, they placed 10 tiny dishes of crazy looking stuff on the table. I've since learned these are condiments called banchan and they consist of kimchee (which we all know about thanks to the Food Network) and a bunch of other stuff we don't know about. It's all delicious and it all brings a different flavor to the mouth. I tried the pickled garlic and jalapeno. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! These are so good. Our Unskinny Bop arrived - SIZZLING. Yes, I said it. Sizzling. There's a fried egg on top and you have to stir it and stir it and stir it until you end up with a big hot bowl of the most delicious fried rice stuff, EVER. It's warm and flavorful. The rice that sits on the bottom gets kind of crispy. Coupled with the cool banchan dishes, you get a variety of flavors, textures and hot/cold. The gentleman working the dining room was so nice, helpful and attentive. I see reviews discussing bad service, but I had no complaints on this Saturday afternoon. As a matter of fact, two or three Saturdays later I was CRAVING a trip to Ma Ma's for more tasty goodness. This time, I told my husband that I was getting whatever I wanted. The same man was in the dining room and he remembered us. LOVE THAT. We had a third diner with us and, would you believe, that Mr. Controlling made is OWN BROTHER get the She Bop? Good thing it's delicious. Mushroom Tempura starter? Sure, I'll have that. Light. Crispy. Hot. Mushroomy. Perfect. I also had the Chicken Saute with is sliced chicken, vegetables and a spicy red sauce in a stir-fry like atmosphere. It was delicious and flavorful, but with a good amount of heat. I love hot food that tastes amazing. I hate hot food that just tastes like hot. Chicken Saute All The Way!! Guess what? I'm going back on Saturday and taking two friends! P.S. We've never had the Korean BBQ, so I can't comment on it. I just don't think that is ever going to be something I try. I mean, it's BBQ. I can marinate meat and throw it on the grill as well as the next guy. I'm going to continue to come to Ma Ma's for the creative, flavorful and authentic Korean dishes. At last I think they're authentic. I guess I don't really know.
(5)
Elaine W.
WORST EXPERIENCE EVER! The food is not bad, but the service is horrible! The first Korean restaurant I've been to where the side dishes are not unlimited. We had 3 people in the group and out of the 10 side dishes offered, they only offer 3 refills. And even those 3 refills are not unlimited, meaning if out of the 10 side dishes you only like 3 of them, then too bad, you'll only get them refilled once. Also, let me repeat, the services were horrible, considered we spent over $100 on the meal, and a 18% tip is charged automatically, you think they would care about their customers a little... The truth is, not at all, they never show up unless we ask for something. No one asked how the meal was or even smiled at us.... Anyways, I will never come back again even if the food isn't too bad... Not worth the money!
(1)
Heather H.
This place is FANTASTIC. This was my first experience eating korean food, and I was not disappointed. I was absolutely amazed at the smorgasbord of sides that were brought out for us to snack on. Apparently this changes with the seasons, but when I was there it included regular kimchi, cucumber kimchi, raddish root kimchi, marinated mushrooms, daikon, sauteed spinach, bean sprouts, and two fish things that I didn't eat, being vegetarian. NOTE TO VEGETARIANS: there is nothing on the menu that is vegetarian, but if you tell them you do not eat meat or fish, they will prepare one of the dishes vegetarian for you. There were two specific dishes they recommended to me that way - the chop chae, a noodle dish with veggies in it (which I had and was killer), and the bebeem bop, the name of which is awesome, that I will be trying next time. The service was excellent, my water kept full, and everyone very nice. I'm excited to find another great restaurant on the east side!
(5)
Jemmie W.
First, we spent $85 for two adults and two kids with no alcohol. Second, the amount of meat for the BBQ was insufficient, especially for the price. Quote from my 5 and 7 year old daughters: "Where's the meat? I'm still hungry." Should have eaten faster, kids. We're a eat-first-ask-questions-later family. At Mama's House, the slow eaters go home hungry. Third, if this were a Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant, we would have paid about half of that $85 and my kids wouldn't have gone home hungry. Fourth, my car, which was parked in the parking space closest to the front door in broad daylight, had an attempted break-in where someone tried to pry off a door handle with a flathead screwdriver, and mostly succeeded. If the car had been parked one more parking spot away, it would probably be in Guatamala right now. So the quality of the food isn't bad except there's not enough meat, especially for a "BBQ". Price seems high. And I should have taken a taxi. Beyond those things, it was great.
(2)
Julianna Y.
I was very disappointed with the food. The service was horrible, the waiters acted like they didn't see us when we needed them. They forgot to bring our rice out to us. I enjoy quality Asian cuisine, and I had better. My family and I did the Korean BBQ, and if I ever go back, I will probably just order off the menu.
(2)
Damie A.
This is the best Korean food in Indy. With that said, it's not perfect, and the service is bad (in my experience typical of Korean restaurants)... if you need anything including your bill, expect to flag down your sever, or literally walk around the small place to find him... but the BBQ is good, and out of the 3 Korean restaurants I have found in Indy, it's the best. PS The shopping plaza is definitely sketchy but we keep going back for the food!
(4)
Kristin S.
How have I not reviewed this heavenly place in Lawrence? My dear old boss introduced me to this place 3 years ago. Is place is cheap and worth the drive from downtown Indy for lunch. Their side dishes are always amazing and their menu gives you enough option to have fun for a while. While I absolutely detest the texture of the chop chae (gelatinous noodles) I have brought co workers who love it. The seaweed roll is fantastic as a side to share. Bulgogi and bim bim bap are my two favorite staples. I have yet to try the grilled food at your table. It's on the bucket list. You can't go wrong with this place. If you have never had Korean food don't be daunted. The wait staff is like family and they will help you.
(5)
Libbie V.
Ha ha (shake shake). That's me laughing and shaking my head in disbelief whenever I read a bad review for the food at Mama's (shake shake). Anyway, every time I visit Mama's I order something exciting & different off the menu and I'm always completely blown away with the delicious flavors of each & every dish. And, the little bowls of various fermented and pickled vegetables are wonderful. I really love those little sea horses! Some recommended appetizers are the steamed wontons, the Korean pancake and the spicy wings. For dinner options I love the goat meat in spicy broth, the beef tongue that's slow cooked in a rich broth, anything that has kimchee in it (their kimchee is fabulous), and of course the Bulgogi and either of the Bop dishes. The meat selections for the Korean open flame BBQ are great - there's pork, beef, short ribs, beef tongue, seafood and then there's tripe for those that enjoy chewing their food a lot. We usually order hot tea and import beer to drink but recently we tried bottles of the Korean rice and herb wine and the Korean rice and fruit wine. Both were great. The service can be off at times so don't go there if you're in a hurry. Why would you want to be in a hurry anyway with all of that good food on your table?
(5)
Arnold P.
I've read all the reviews and the people who give this 5 stars are obviously not Korean...It is honestly average at best, but thats coming from a Korean that has ate Korean food his whole life, im just saying...
(3)
Bill S.
I haven't been to many Korean food restaurants, but this is a must in Indy. Don't be fooled by the exterior, the food is amazing. Try the kimchi. Also they have table top stoves (much like a fondue restuarant) so you can have a DYI meal!
(5)
Jon A.
Although Kim Jong Il is wearing his stunners in the grave, Mama is still sporting her stunners in her dining room. Did I come hear to celebrate his death? Maybe. Did I come here to have the perfect dinner with perfect friends? Yes. It's been nearly a year since we've been here... and Mama is still sporting her rose-tinted stunners and working the room -- nowhere near South of age 85, too. Did the waiter look at my ID and say, "Richard Kimble?" Yes, yes he did. When's the last time you heard a fugitive reference -- no less a Kimble specific one? You haven't... that's why you can't think of it. It just so happens I love The Fugitive & Richard Kimble, so I took it as a great honor. The service wasn't just in jokes... it's in timing, attitude, and attention to detail. The last time I was here I salivated over a friend's Samsae Tang soup, and this time... we ordered it, and it's perfect for a cold night: it's a game hen stuffed with dates and ginger, then boiled to create a brothy, gravy soup, and they leave the whole hen in the soup. We grilled pork belly at our table, we ate pickled daikon & kim chi, we grilled pork belly at our table. We had a perfect dinner.
(5)
Sara L.
Once you go here and experience the flavor sensation that is the all-awesome all the time fiasco known to us fools as Mama's House, it will dwell in your brain like an addiction and you will be left wanting nothing....but more. You'll go once, freak out about how flipping awesome it is, and then keep going back. If you get one of Mama's Specialty Dinners or one of the two items on the other side of the menu that have 'Korean Full Dinner' attached to the name, you get like 12 side dishes of mostly various kimchi. I suggest you do this at least once because, along with being intensely, nearly woefully overpowering with amazingly mind-numbing flavors, the visual presentation is intensely beautiful. Also, if one of your little kimchi dishes runs out, they will refill it at no charge, you just need to ask. Here, let me put it simply: MaMa's house is a place where it is impossible to eat without making sex noises and sex faces. You can't help yourself. You just can't.
(5)
Jeff K.
The wings are so freakin good I can't believe it. They were the best wings I've ever had. Amazing wings!!
(4)
Charles S.
By far the best Korean food in Indianapolis. One of the best casual dining Korean restaurants I've eaten at in the USA. Authentic food, we'll prepared. Staff is friendly and helpful. We have been going to Mama's House for 20 years and have had consistently great meals.
(5)
Rick B.
went to lunch today, had the korean chicken wings.. its like sweet and hot sauce and xtra crispy...
(5)
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Address :8867 Pendleton Pike
Indianapolis, IN, 46226
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
M D.
Driving thru Indianapolis and needed a good Korean fix. Wasn't very confident that we would get a legit experience, but behold... Mama's! Panchan was delicious and abundant. I think we got like 15 panchan plates. We ordered the seafood sundubu and the japjae. Both delicious! Only gripe is the prices. $13 for each!? Well I guess it was worth it for the panchan! Will come back if we pass thru Indianapolis again!
(4)Heather T.
I was weary of this place because of the area, but it's definitely a diamond in the rough. The decor isn't anything special, but the servers are knowledgeable. The cool thing is that they are a Korean BBQ restaurant, so they have normal tables as well as BBQ tables where you can cook your own meat. Something fun for the family, or a date. We started out with the Wontons (pork) and they were good, not spectacular. For an entree I had a pork and kimchi saute, which had wayy too much spicy sauce. Not that it was too spicy, there was just mostly kimchi and gochujang left on my plate. They could have added a bit more pork. The thing I love about this place is all the side dishes you get with your entree (as in most Korean restaurants). It came with about 15 different accompaniments such as different kimchis (cucumber, cabbage, bean sprout, daikon), potatoes, bok choy with sesame, little strips of cooked egg, etc. My friend had the bulgogi (I told her it was something safe, since she had never eaten Korean food before) and she loved it! It came out on a sizzling hot platter and was seasoned very well (it's not spicy for anyone wondering). I would definitely return to try something different. A hidden gem in Indianapolis.
(4)Lauren D.
So I truly use to LOVE mamas house. We use to go quite often but haven't for the past couple months. So we are about to move to Philly and the last place I wanted to go back to in Indiana was mamas house. We had the worst service. I don't know if our server just thought we didn't know what we were doing but he was absent most of the time and to busy eating his dinner then to bring us our plates so we could get to cooking and eat ours. So we sat and waited finally I got up to get plates and when we asked for more pickled vegetables since we were snacking on them while waiting for our server to get back he said we couldn't get anymore. I was frustrated by the whole experience since I was so looking forward to going. We also wanted to start out with a bottle of cold unfiltered sake and that was even hard to get. They do carry it but he thought I wouldn't like it. I know what I like..... And we had the wings as an appetizer before getting the bulgugi and pork belly. I feel we ordered enough to be allowed some extra kimchi. I left just feeling frustrated.
(3)Justin L.
Best place in the midwest for Korean food. Enough said. But since that's not quite enough for everyone else to work off of... the food here is simply the best Korean food you'll find in the midwest. I live in Chicago and San Soo Gap San is the only comparable place you'll find. I've tried several dishes here over the course of the last few years and I've never been disappointed. If you go with someone familiar, there are some dishes not listed, and there's a great selection of panch'an (side dishes). Everytime I'm back in Indianapolis I always make a stop in for food. Ambiance and service. It's Korean BBQ, so don't expect it to be mahogany tables and white table cloths. They are very well ventilated and you will walk out with a bit of BBQ smell, but I've never minded. Service is good and I've never had a problem here, but I have noticed better service when you're with someone Korean speaking. But that's no different than any other Korean restaurant. Overall, a definite must if you like Korean food.
(5)Shannon P.
The food deserves 4-5 stars, but the service was terrible. We had fried wontons and a large scallion pancake as appetizers. Both were excellent. The banchan was very tasty and we had the beef house special and pork on the grill. All the food was wonderful. However, we had a member of our party arrive a little later that was never offered a menu, drink, or chopsticks. We needed to flag down servers to get chopsticks and for him to order. No one ever came by to ask about water/sake refills and we all had empty waters midway through the meal that weren't addressed. This wouldn't have been so bad if the restaurant wasn't already so warm from all the table side grilling. We probably waited twenty minutes for our check. We really had to flag down our waiter. He walked right past the table a few times without acknowledging our attempts to get his attention. He removed our grill right as we were finishing, which leads me to believe that he was aware we were finished. Altogether, the good food outweighed the bad service, but we will probably try out Bando down the street before returning here for a Korean BBQ experience.
(3)Carrie A.
I would give this place a 5-star if they kept their awesome egg soup at lunch. It's okay now, they alternate between miso and radish soup. Enjoy! Great value.
(4)Caroline C.
GREAT lunch specials. They have a lunch menu of about a dozen items, all starting at $5.99 up to $7.99. Comes with condiments, egg soup and your choice of fried or steamed rice. I got the Chop-Chae. It's a 'transparents sweet potato noodle with vegetables and beef in a soy based sauce'. I liked it to break up the monotony of always getting bolgoogi or bibimbap. My friend got Kalbi (which takes longer). It's worth the wait. The condiments are alright. The kimchi is very spicy and I love the cucumber one. The potato one was a little bit of a disappointment, it's usually sweeter. Can anyone teach me the names of these? This place is pretty darn authentic. It's huge and they have a banquet room all set up for karaoke. Not sure when their karaoke nights are, but wow, looks like it would be a blast.
(5)Huntting B.
So here's the thing. Normally I only review based on the food of a place, but occasionally service leaves such a bad taste in my mouth that I have to lower the review because of it. This is one of those situations. The food here was actually pretty good. They have a very limited soon tofu selection, and by limited I mean that there is only one option. It is VERY soupy, not stewie at all, which isn't the way that I like it. But more than anything, all I remember from my experience here was when I asked for a raw egg to add to my tofu soup, as she walked away hardly looking back she said three words to me, and only three words "Lunch no egg," and walked away.
(1)Brandon S.
I've enjoyed many ethnic foods: Indian, Italian, Greek, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, and Filipino... but none are as inedible as Korean. THE GOOD: Seaweed rolls... served warm with meat and other vegetables. Yum!! The service was spectacular, they quickly obtain your order, and, shortly after, bring you your food along with lots of other dishes. THE BAD: Cuts of meat! I had the Large short ribs that were supposed to be marinated for 10 hours... maybe they were... it was just hard to tell because the ribs were EXTREMELY fatty. No taste whatsoever to them. My wife had the Chicken Saute.... over half of the meat was fatty. I don't know about you but when I spend $15 for a plate of meat it better be good... instead I almost lost it a few times attempting to cut through the fatty delicacy. It was like trying to chew through thick bubble gum. They also bring out a whole variety of other food. It's like a whole country said, "Let's pickle everything!" Picked cold and uncooked potatoes? Check. Like cold pickled greens (rather slimy)? Check. How about some fermented cabbage? Check... I kind of like Kimchi. Pickled onions... they have those too. The pickles they brought out were great and so were a few of the hot vegetables... but really the annoying thing was spending soo much money for meat that should only be served to my dog.
(1)Rudy L.
First time dinning at a Korean bbq restaurant with my wife and they made it a great experience. Amazing service with a knowledge able staff. Great price point for a Korean BBQ restaurant.
(4)Marianne L.
BEST KOREAN BBQ in town! I take all my friends there. They all love it. I LOVE the dol sot bibimbop and all the side dishes.
(5)Jessica C.
I've been going here since I was a baby. Best Korean barbecue and "Mama" treats her regulars like family. The atmosphere is slightly disappointing but I go for the food. It doesn't get more authentic than this!! I've been to Korean restaurants in Chicago, LA, Orange County, NYC, Ann Arbor, Purdue, San Francisco, Korea, etc. and Mama's gives as many sides as a true restaurant in Korea would. Try the Dolsot Bibimbap if its your first time trying Korean or the Bulgogi. If in a group, try the barbecue. I like the thinly sliced beef (chadobagee). Korean miso soup is my favorite but I personally like it better at Bando's.
(5)Anna W.
I was extremely excited to try this place. I have had Korean BBQ before and it was amazing! When we came here, I was disappointed. We had told our waiter that it was our first time there. He wasn't helpful with suggestions. We ordered the table top BBQ short ribs, beef and chicken among other things. The food wasn't flavorful and the service was terrible. We tried to get our waiter's attention several times and he didn't respond. We didn't get our rice until we were almost finished with our meal. We waited forever to get our drinks refilled. I had high expectations considering it was listed as one of Indy's best restaurant. Definitely left disappointed.
(2)Kate H.
This is the only Korean food I've ever had, so I don't have anything to compare. I definitely enjoyed it, though. I also couldn't tell you what in the world the sides actually are, but I liked them (they all tasted pretty much the same). I love taking family and friends from out of town to this place. However, the last time we went we had 5 people and the server acted upset that only ordered 3 types of meat. I think he wanted each person to order their own meal, but we wanted to share and try everything. He didn't come back to check on us and didn't change our grill so it got pretty gross. There were maybe only 4 or 5 other tables, so it definitely wasn't because he was too busy. We still spent well over $100 with drinks on top of the meals, so I'm not sure why he got such an attitude. Too bad for him, because he didn't get as much on his tip! The other experiences I've had were good. Overall, the food is good and the experience is unique. I've had success with even the picky eaters in my family. Just be prepared for your clothes to stink when you leave ;)
(4)J C.
I've been here about 5 times, and this would have been a 4 star review except for the most recent time I went. Service was AWFUL. Hopefully I caught them on a bad day. I'll be back and give them another chance. Besides that last time, every other time has been very good! The food is delicious and the staff has been very friendly and accommodating of a white boy that's new to Korean cuisine. The only criticism on the food, is that the beef they use could stand to be of slightly better quality. Not nasty by any means, but a bit on the cheap side. Their shrimp tempura is better than any Japanese place's I've ever been. The prices need to be dropped by about $3-5 on every entree. Still worth it, though.
(3)Karena S.
The only bad part about the experience I had here was how long it took us to get our bill. We probably waited for that as long as it took us to eat our food! However, the food was delicious, everyone was very friendly and I liked the atmosphere. I got a soup, I forget what it was called, but it was delicious. Towards the end of my bowl, I was pleasantly surprised by a large clam. The kimchi (I think that's what it's called) came with the soup, about 12 different kinds, all in white bowls. Also, I would highly, highly recommend the green onion salad, which I also happily munched on. Lots of food=my tummy was very happy and very full when I left! This was the kind of food that I'll be craving soon; a craving that only Mama's House will be able to fill.
(4)Ron C.
The meats were seasoned well and the place was much less smokey than most other Korean BBQs due to them having exhaust hoods at every grill table. That was a great touch! It was really nice since I had to catch a plane right after and I didn't have to stink up the plane! I'm not big on all of the side foods that they provide so can't really judge it on my own but my Chinese friend said they were all very good. I don't like things that are pickles so I wish there were other choices. Overall, a great experience and some tasty food. The $20 combo special on Sunday was just the right amount of food.
(4)Nick H.
This restaurant is awesome! It's completely unassuming and located in a strip mall, so look carefully. I met a friend here for dinner, and we had one of the specialty entrées. They brought out 12 different kinds of kimchi which equated to 12 different kinds of bliss in my mouth. During the meal, we imbibed some melifluous pink sake which left me wanting more. We also cooked our meat on a grill in the middle of the table which was incredible. However, nothing compares to the green onion salad. My friend recommended it, and I have longed for it ever since my first bite. Apparently, it's a trade secret because they only give one serving and won't tell anyone what makes it so delicious. You can't go wrong with this place. If it's far from your house, drive there anyway. If it's close, then you're probably there now reading this review on your laptop and devouring something delicious.
(4)Kristan H.
A couple months ago, I spent the weekend at Fort Harrison State Park and used Yelp to find places nearby to eat. Mama's House had good reviews, so I decided to check it out. Overall it wasn't bad. Not too hard to find, easy parking, busy enough to feel comfortable but not too busy for good service. They give you lots of side dishes (even me, and I was alone) and a good portion dish. As for the food, I ordered the dulsot bibimbap, which was okay, but not as good as what I'm used to in Cincinnati (for the same price, which isn't cheap). So in the end I was satisfied, but not impressed.
(3)Dawn T.
Sitting here on this snowy Saturday afternoon, thinking about the hot grill with sizzling meat in the center of the table at Mama's Korean restaurant. My mouth is still watering thinking of it. I had the beef bulgogi and my son had the spicy pork bulgogi. Both dishes were delicious and the assorted condiments (accoutrements) were as good as main course. Actually, my son may have enjoyed those even more than the main dish. He loved the smoked squid and the little tiny fish. He is a more adveturous eater than I when it comes to fish and seafood. I quite enjoyed the various pickled vegetables, particularly the radish dish, which is odd, because I typically don't care for radish. The service was incredible, particularly considering the size of our party, as we atteneded with the Yelp International Supper Club. My son ended his meal saying "This is the most fun meal I've ever eaten."
(5)Lim K.
Mama's house was our favorite restaurant to go to on Fridays before moving out of the state. While passing through Indy we stopped for supper last Saturday. Though we had not been there for several years the food still tasted great and the mama was still cooking in the kitchen. The flavors of squid sautee and spicy skate fish were excellent. There were so many dishes we wanted try but unfortunately, we were on the road so any leftovers will be wasted. The next visit we will definitely grill some kalbi and spicy pork. The only thing different was kimchi. It was not what we used to get and did not have good flavor. However, I miss mama's all the time since there is no single Korean restaurant in where I live.
(4)P B.
This ranks as some of the best k-BBQ I've had, even compared to NYC, SF, Tokyo, and LAs K-town. Authentic, well-seasoned, and delicious. Perfect with several glasses of Asahi.
(5)Thuy T.
My favorite Korean place in Indianapolis! Looking for some new, try the do it yourself BBQ with your friends. You select the kind of meat you like and then grill it yourself right at your table. The marinade for the meat is a lot better than its competitor, and the sides also seem fresher as well. They carry this side that I don't really see other places have, pickled garlic and jalapenos. My favorite meat selection is the spicy pork, it's flavorful and grill up really juicy. The service can be a little disappointing at times. Some times you really have to wave your hands and feet to get attention. Recently I've been getting a new lady who is so cheerful and sweet, and a younger gentleman who is very helpful. Hopefully they will stick around.
(4)Leigh S.
I love Mama's House. There is no better way to warm one's soul than a piping hot bowl of silken tofu soup on a chilly fall day and Mama's is more than happy to fulfill that need. Portion sizes are ample plus you get the fantastic array of Korean salads and pickled veggies with your meal. It's fun to pick from the 10 or so dishes that they give you for a culinary delight. We had the Korean BBQ once. It was also tasty, though a little spendy and at some point I got splattered with beef juice, which ruined my lucky purple shirt. That's kinda unlucky. However, unlike most Korean BBQ places which have gas grills on the table, Mama's used charcoal. It was so delicious!! Perhaps this will also be a nice treat in the dead of winter, grilling over hot coals... we could almost pretend it's summer. The staff is very friendly and will spend time helping you with the menu, if you're unfamiliar with Korean food. Overall, Mama's House has a good vibe and has made my list of regular jaunts.
(4)Shellye S.
Mama's House is very good when it comes to BBQ and banchan. I've only tried the kalbi, the LA kalbi, and the bulgogi so far, but they're all very good. The kimchi is very good and tastes homemade. The only downside was we've also been here for non-BBQ lunch and weren't as impressed. The yangnyeom (fried chicken) wasn't very good - too much bad sauce. The naengmyeon (summer noodles) was also less than impressive and it's an enormous portion.
(4)Michael E.
A bit pricey but man oh man was it good.
(4)Alex K.
If you are hungry for Korean look no further. If you have never eaten Korean food it is fun and is served family style as you cook your own dinner on a grill that is inserted in the middle of the table. Korean food is pretty similar wherever you go (Including Korea) so this place is on par with anywhere I have been but at least they cook on real charcoal. My favorite dishes here are the Gochujang Sam Gup Sal, Kimchi jjigae, and Kalbee. A few of their Ban Chan (Side dishes) are also really good. The ones that come to mind are the pickled garlic (which you can buy from them in a giant jar), and the cucumber kimchi.
(5)Janet S.
Came here for a rehearsal dinner of about 50 people, we were seated in the back room where we were served buffet style set up down the middle of the room that just about went from one end to the other. There were so many different dishes, but since they weren't labeled I'm not sure what everything was! The kimchi and other pickled vegetables were amazing...I especially loved the daikon. I also really liked the tofu served cold in a chili sauce. Actually everything I sampled was tasty, my only complaint was that most of the hot dishes were only lukewarm, and I wish they would have set them up in some chafing dishes or something because I think they would have tasted even better hot! I also really liked the Korean beer, Hite - enough so that I was doing my own commercials for it, "Hite is tite!" (We were waiting to do some karaoke, so I was getting ready for that by drinking a few tite Hites) I am looking forward to going back for the BBQ experience, walking in and out of the restaurant and seeing all the people grilling away on their tabletop flames looked really fun...and smelled soooo good. I will be back, and hoping I can bump them up a star with a new review.
(3)Sunah K.
With all the ethnic food popping up in Indy, I'd hoped that there would be more Korean places. This was definitely the only Korean joint in town when I lived here about 10 years ago, but I remember it being better back then. Unfortunately, the staple bulgogi was not so impressive--tough and not well marinated. Even the bibimbop wasn't that great--a big bowl of rice with veggies and a fried egg mixed with spicy sweet chili paste was over run with bland raw veggies that were not really Korean style. The spicy wings were good--sticky and sweet/spicy. And they have Makkuli (not sure how to spell it in English)--rice liquor. All the little sides were great. But my parents who were in town and wanted Korean food were really disappointed. It's a neat place to take a group of (non Korean) friends to grill meat at the table and order something different from everyday Asian fare, but i probably won't be back with family. If we want a Korean meal, we'll probably head to Saraga market and make it ourselves.
(2)Liz M.
Best Korean food you can get! We have been going to Mama's house since it was down on 21st St, oh, 20+ years ago? My childhood memories are filled with dinners at Mama's house! "Mama" knows my family when we walk in the door, even though 1) I don't think she speaks English, and 2) we know 3-4 words in Korean (so please forgive my spelling in this review). I think Mama has started to be slowly phased out of the kitchen. The bulgogi has a little more fat on it than I remember, and the bi bim bap has less bulgogi in it. However, the lunch special is unbeatable. In addition to the entree you choose, they serve egg drop soup and Korean side dishes (kimchi, pickled radishes, cucumbers that look similar to kimchi, and something else). It will definitely fill you up. My favorites are the bi bim bap and the bulgogi. Chop chae and kahlbi are also recommended. I ALWAYS get the yukki mandu, which are deep fried dumplings, yum! You can't go wrong at Mama's house. Delicious food, good price.
(5)Liz D.
We were having a bummer of a night and really wanted sushi. All the Japanese places were full to the brim and really annoying for our toddler we had in tow. So, we decided on Korean. I have to say I was not excited. I didn't want to try a new place but I am SO glad we did!! I have never been to Lawerence but it was worth the trip from SoBro for this amazing place. If you are one to judge a book by it's cover, you might immediately turn around. MaMa's House is situated in an old worn out strip mall. The inside is nothing to marvel at but it was extremely comfy and welcoming even for a two year old. The service was outstanding and very helpful. We wanted to try the makoli but weren't sure which flavor, the server was so helpful and even told us a story about working in the fields picking rice. She was all smiles as she reminisced about drinking rice wine. It made me want to order every flavor. We ordered bebeem bop which was offered traditional (cold) or warm. We went with traditional and it was great. The chop chae was seasoned perfectly. Of course, am saving the best for last, the 12 side dishes were absolutely outstanding. My best friend's husband is Korean and I have been to many Korean restaurants and this Kimchi is the best I have ever tasted. They also have a BBQ tables that the couple next to us said were awesome. Can't wait to go back for the lunch specials. Can't wait to go back and try something new!!!
(4)Richard H.
I have absolutely no idea whether the cuisine at Mama's is "authentically Korean," but I do know that it is tasty. For my first visit, I had the Dolsoet Bebeem Bop, which is rice and veggies served in a sizzling stone bowl; it was delicious. But the dozen or so side dishes (banchan, right?) -- boiled egg and garlic soaked in soy sauce, cucumbers, kimchee, some kind of dried fish in an amazing sauce, bean sprouts -- were especially fun to sample. The service was really friendly and prompt -- the server took time to explain each of the side dishes to us. The space itself is larger than it looks from the outside, and the decor is, well, tired. They really could spruce the place up a bit. They do offer grill tables as well, and they apparently have karaoke sometime.
(4)Kevin S.
If I could give Mama's a 10 I would. Very Authentic and absolute perfection. We will be back many times.
(5)Philip D.
Oh man Korean BBQ again. Ive been to multiple places around the country Chicago la event toronto. But this place is the best! It may seem odd having the best Korean BBQ in Indiana? Yes this location is extremely good much much better than the one in Bloomington. Ok now to why it is better. The side dishes at the start are good and there are plenty of them 10-15. Service is kind and fast. The BBQ on the grill is good quality and the marinated meats are well prepared with a solid prep. The meats are soft and good. But what makes this place different from all the other korean bbqs I've been too is the grill it self. All of the other stores have gas flamed grills. Which is ok but this grill is a coal grill. They bring out hot coal and that is what you grill with! It has so much more flavor that you will honesty never want the gas grill again.
(5)Gordon C.
so i've been craving korean bbq for the longest time.. the first meal with my buddies whenever i fly back home is often korean bbq i'm sorry if this is the most insulting review i've ever written but everyone who rated this place 5 stars has got to be kidding me.. that being said.. here goes.. i did yelp this place so maybe i got my hopes up way too high? so my buddy and i ordered the bulgolgi (marinated beef) and the kalbi (marinated short ribs) dinners main dish, bulgolgi: very little marinate, no flavor, the meat was a little tough.. i'm sitting here thinking about how there are so many positive reviews on the bulgolgi but this was the worst bulgolgi i've ever tasted in my life.. worse than the shit i make.. 1/10 main dish, kalbi: this was more flavorful and more on par with what korean bbq is suppose to be like.. but the meat was not good quality.. 4/10 both main dishes were very small in terms of portion size.. smallest portion sizes i've ever eaten.. after finishing the meat all i could do was sit there, drink the water, and eat the small dishes while reminiscing about the AYCE korean bbq places in k-town small dishes: this was the only redeeming part of the meal.. there was alot of variety.. i'd say at least 8 small dishes.. nothing jumped out at me but variety was awesome.. in terms of small dishes at a kbbq places, imo, variety is undervalued.. (most AYCE places it's really only about the meat and the esteemed kbbq places only serve at most 5 small dishes).. one thing that sucked though was that there was no salad.. but then again.. why would there be a need for salad if there is barely any meat?????? (fiber - for anyone who has never experienced the day after an AYCE night).. 8/10 - despite not having salad service: terrible but the guy was sooooo nice about his terrible service.. 1) we didn't get rice with our meat.. we had to flag him down.. now.. flagging him down was hard to do not b/c he was busy (there were only 4 medium sized parties there).. he just spent so much time not being attentive.. 2) i never got my water refilled and i probably finished most of it by the time the meat was out.. 3) lastly besides trying to jip us with the rice.. i swear he tried to jip me of the sweet rice tea (but again i guess it's not necessary to clean my palate since there wasn't much flavor nor was there enough meat to give me constipation) thinking about how much i paid for this meal and my anticipation for having an insane positive nitrogen balance tomorrow.. 2 stars is awfully generous
(2)Mark W.
Okay I admit I am spoiled, in San Francisco I could walk to a half a dozen Korean restaurants. Cold, overcast Sunday and craving Korean, I trust Betsy's reccomendations so off I went. I had to go around the block twice, thinking I must be in the wrong place, but on the other side of the construction sure enough, there is a Korean restaurant, Mama's House. As I came in the waitress was sleeping (literally) head down on a table, not a good sign. Only person in the restaurant ordered Bulgogi and was pleasently surprised, everything was very nice, more than enough to eat and besides being the only person in the restaurant and noise from the television it was a good meal. Thanks, Betsy
(3)Nikolai S.
Super nice staff and a really fun place! 7 of us got a "grill table" and dined on the spicy pork and various appetizers. Highly recommend the spicy pork, it was amazing!
(4)Betsy A.
Though I don't get there as often as I would like due to the location, I love Mama's House! There used to be another Korean restaurant in Fishers, but now I think Mama's House and Bando are the only two left?? At any rate, I've never tried Bando because Mama's is such a sure thing. The restaurant is easy to miss thanks to its very unassuming location in a strip mall that has seen better days. The last time I was there, the parking lot had more potholes than not....but that may no longer be the case :-) However, don't let the outside scare you away - Mama's has fab Korean food. The first time I went I was immediately transported back to a college friend's dinner table. She was Korean and I knew I'd found some good eats when I recognized several items at Mama's that my friend used to cook for her dinner parties. I've had both the traditional Bulgogi dinner and the Bibimbap. It is hard to say which I prefer. The bulgogi is nice if you have a larger group and the experience of Bulgogi is definitely unique...you cook your own meat over a charcoal brazier built in to the table and then assemble Korean-style "tacos" with lettuce leaves, rice and bits of the Panchan - Korean side dishes that are like relishes and pickles (the best!!!) - and some sauce. The Bibimbap is like Korea's answer to a noodle bowl. In this version, you'll get a bowl of rice topped with a variety of delicious and perfectly prepared vegetables, some sliced meat and perhaps an egg (optional at Mama's House), plus just enough chili paste to make things meld together ideally. Serious comfort food in a single bowl! Like the Bulgogi dinner, Bibimbap at Mama's House comes with a number of Panchan (side dishes). These little morsels are probably what I love most about Korean cuisine....little bites of Kimchee, marinated mushrooms, beansprouts, cucumbers....you get the idea. The panchan are also replenished as needed at no extra charge, so if your party finds something they really like, you won't run out during the course of your meal! If you haven't tried Korean food and you are an Asian foodie, you must make haste to Mama's House :-) PS: everything here goes down extra well with a Korean beer.
(5)Angelica G.
You can smell Mama's bbq right as you pull in to park. The surroundings look, well, a little sketchy. From the free pregnancy testings and liquor stores you might want to turn around and get back on 465, but all my Korean friends said this was the best place in town, so I had to go. From the mouth-watering smells and the Korean karaoke going down, I was eager to see what the food would be like. We decided to order individual items from the menu, and that's where we made our first mistake. Just order the barbecue for your table and dig in if you visit Mama's. The other stuff (soup, jabchae, kimchi) did not compare to Korean food I have had in the past.
(3)Lauren R.
Food was ok, but I've now been sitting waiting for my check for over 30 minutes. Unacceptable poor service after we receive our food our sever seemed to disappear...So did his tip.
(2)Tony J.
my favorite restaurant in indy. been to other korean restaurant in los angeles, new york, and atlanta, and this place is as good if not better.
(4)Sarah S.
Mama's House is a humble little gem tucked away in a strip mall on Pendleton Pike, but you won't be disappointed in the food. Come here with a big crowd and fire up the coal barbecue pit, conveniently located in the center of your table. You can choose from a wide variety of raw meats and then have fun grilling them yourself. If you're adventurous, give the baby octopus a try, although I admit that seeing their little tentacles curl up in a very life-like fashion from the heat of the grill is a bit much for me to stomach. The eight million delicious relishes that they bring you are sure to please as well. If you're not up for the grill (although, frankly, I can't imagine why you wouldn't be), the bulgogi is always a surefire bet. I also love the plum wine, though be forewarned: it's very sweet.
(4)David C.
Simple atmosphere but amazing food. Go hungry because there will be a lot to eat - as in most typical Korean places, your entree comes with a variety of side dishes like kimchee and other pickled foods.
(4)Natalie M.
I'm not a huge fan of Korean food, but found Mama's to have very good food and friendly service. The Full Korean Dinner is worth the try if you've not sampled much Korean food. You'll get seared beef w/rice and seaweed and approximately 20 small dishes of various kimchi and other sides. For those with a less adventurous palate, the Korean BBQ fare would be worth a try.
(4)Kenny Z.
I have visited here multiple times and never encountered any major problems. I have visited different Korean restaurants all over the world, I would say this one is not bad at all, staff was friendly as most other Korean restaurants (but just seemed to be under-staffed). Slightly pricy (as it indicated $$). Order the Korean dishes only though. Tried chicken wings once and they were definitely a no-go.
(4)Juichia C.
Very similar to Bando, but I think a little cheaper. It's definitely not the best Korean food I've had, but it's not bad. They serve the food up pretty quickly, but after that, you'll have a hard time getting their attention again for anything else. So get everything you might want at once. The pickled cucumbers are very tasty.
(3)Zak D.
Authentic Korean in a casual atmosphere. Be sure to try the BBQ table. Mama does it right. One of my favorite places to eat!
(4)JR W.
Now that I've had Korean food in Indy, I feel like my stay here will be just fine. Phew.
(4)Swt P.
Living in Indianapolis and having young children gave us many good reasons why we have only visited Italian or any other chain restaurants. Well, it is Indianapolis anyway - the capital of chain restaurants in the US!!! But this time, our family finally ventured out to a Korean restaurant. Mama's is one of the few Korean restaurants in town that many friends of us have talked about. It is located in the strip mall on Pendleton Pike. If you are not familiar with the area, try to go there during daylight. The restaurant is split into 3 different areas - regular tables, barbeque and banquet room. People greeted us as you walked into the restaurant, and we were seated immediately. The smoke from barbeque area smells very delicious. However, we chose to seat in the regular table for the "safety" of our children. The food was delicious (as we were dying for Korean food - we ate almost everything), the portion size is perfect, the side dishes were great... My kids loved the bulgogi and spinach. Thumbs up - according to them. However, bulgogi and bee bim bop - perhaps needed a little more splash of sesame oil, food temperature could be a little warmer and the the taste could be a little hotter... Perhaps they "altered" the taste for Americans... :-(( Price is a little bit too expensive for the size, location and quality of the food - $15 for bulgogi dinner and $12 for bee bim bop... I had Korean food in different cities in the US (LA, Denver, Chicago, NYC, etc) for less... oh well.. I will probably (maybe) come back to this place again. Next time we will try to eat at their barbeque table.
(3)Daniel G.
Went there kind of late. They were very busy. A lot of family's there. Finally was seated and ordered the Spicy Pork. Great dish. Lots of food. The small plates of veggies were really good too. I made the mistake of not having someone with me. Many of the specialties are made for two only. I can't wait to go back to try some of the charcoal grilled beef dishes. Left very full and very impressed with the food quality. Fine dining. No. Service, not great and hard to understand depending on who you talk to. I did see a plate of RAW beef short ribs sitting at the table next to me for at least 30 minutes. They eventually went away. Still a fan though.
(4)Rebecca U.
A great place to go for Korean food in Indianapolis. I think the best time to go is for lunch, they have some great specials. The bulgogi is my favorite!
(4)WILLIAM P.
Good basic Korean. It takes a lot to get a 4 or 5 from me! Remember being here two years ago and enjoying the food. No Frills, when they use real charcoal for you to grill the BBQ Combo of Beef, Pork and Shrimp you know it is authentic. The family also enjoyed Boolgogi, Kelbi and Squid Saute Lunch Specials. All recommended, but the squid was a little chewier then my last time here. Service was efficient and not Unfriendly!
(3)Nadya Y.
Second time we visited this gem. I love Korean food and it's hard to find authentic place in Midwest USA. Found this on yelp and agree with reviewers. First time we had Korean BBQ, second time had bibimbap. Both were delicious, as were the multitude of side dishes that come with any meal (free refills too). I had hot green tea (they call it barley tea here). Great tasting food, lots of veges so you feel good about eating here. Service is fine, sometimes takes a while to wave down the waiter. It's located in a dodgy part of town (bullet holes in shopfront round the corner!) but you drive here there were no problems. Will definitely return to get my Korean food fix.
(5)Ravi P.
Good: BBQ style, overall experience, kimchi and seasonings, sides Bad: Really bad service and quality of meat
(3)Brittany S.
Say what? I forgot to review Mama's way back when - and, now, come to think of it, I'm overdue for my next visit to this budget-friendly and flavor-packed eatery. I especially recommend checking out Mama's House for their lunch specials (I believe all were well under $10!). Fun fact: Mama's was recognized a few years ago by Indianapolis Monthly Magazine as one of the top 25 restaurants in Indy. All lunch meals come with an accompaniment of dozens upon dozens (okay, slight exaggeration) of sides like pickled veggies. This place is perfect for those who love to sample and loathe picking just ONE meal. This way, you can kinda sorta have it all in one seating. Better yet, ask your dining pals to play family style to maximize diversity. Large menu: you're bound to find something that strikes your fancy. I opted for a noodle/soup-like concoction filled with steamed vegetables and an egg on top. Delicious! Note that the vibe in here is on the weirder side of things - fairly dark and extremely quiet.
(4)Joshua V.
My wife is Korean. This is where we go when she wants Korean. Authentic food. Great side-dishes (very important). And I like the grills on the table, what more could you want.
(4)Tamara Q.
I've been to a similar place in Chicago and this was comparable in experience if not better. I'm talking about the amazing Korean BBQ experience. I can't vouch for the other stuff on the menu (Kalbi, Bibimbop, etc which did look a bit overpriced)! BUT the bbq experience is authentic and delicious. For starters for about 27 bucks per person (if you share the special with another)!you get about 10 different side dishes ranging from pickled radish to kimchee to fried tofu. You cook your own meat, 2-3 different kinds on a grill right in front of you. Sure it's labor intensive but the meat is so good and pre-marinated in spicey and sweet mixture different for pork, beef, and chicken. It's filling and yummy and makes you feel like you just left Indianapolis for a hole in the wall in Korea Town. Give it a chance if you are adventurous or want a true Korean experience in Indy. It is well worth it.
(5)Kristina D.
I have always loved Mamas Korean restaurant. I think they still have one in Bloomington, Indiana. That was a pretty good one from when I remember. Mamas gives you more vegetables in the Banchan (little side dishes you get) than Bando Korean restaurant down the street.
(5)Jimmy K.
This would've been a 5 star only if it wasn't so expensive! The food is amazing. I'm a native Korean born and raised and this place serves some legitimate Korean food. I understand that it's rare to find a Korean restaurant around this area but it is quite overpriced. Any soup should cost ~$10 but you're looking at about ~$15 here. If you're only concerned about the taste/quality, hands down 5/5!
(4)Alisha R.
I'm super sketchy about...ok, all things. Of course I went in questioning everything even though this place has come highly recommended. This place is FANTASTIC! So many sides! Something for everyone! We had family visiting from out of town and we ordered a few main dishes and an appetizer to split among 9 of us. We got to try a little bit of everything and everyone was surprisingly pleased. Some of us did the bbq while the others came already prepared. Overall, to please 9 people with very different preferences I'd say they nailed it! Great service too!!
(5)Pam H.
Food was excellent (and has been every time we have gone), but the service was terrible. We would get part of the food but not the coals to cook it, no refills on drinks, etc. very disappointing as we love Korean BBQ and it's the only one around.
(3)Timothy H.
Stopped at Mama's Korean Restaurant for lunch on the way to Keystone Crossing. The place was nearly empty so we were seated quickly. Looking through the menu titles, most of them said DINNER at DINNER prices ($15 at least). We asked if they have a lunch menu but they said they didn't. Oddly enough, there's Yelp reviews about a ~$6.99 lunch specials with photos to prove it. Oh well we ordered our entrees. They brought out 12 side dishes. Most of them didn't taste good except the potatoes and spicy dried fish? The bibimbap I ordered was average. For $15 I expected more. Vegetables weren't fresh, hot sauce was salty, and the protein was chewy. I finished about half of it before feasting on the potatoes. (I love potatoes). Service was poor. Despite having 5 occupied tables and 2 waiters, we waited a few minutes each time to get water refills and more potato side dishes.
(3)Christina G.
Smelled like stale cigarettes. VERY expensive. Nothing under $15.99 even the soup was expensive.
(1)Derek S.
This place is awesome! The food is excellent, and he service has always been pretty friendly.
(5)Jac H.
The staff are incredibly nice. The food is pretty good for what you think it would taste like in Indianapolis and the not so large korean population. I love the rotating side dishes. My coworkers order from here for lunch at least once a week. Alot of coworkers first time eating korean food was from here and they now love korean food! I wish the bibimbap came with the gochujang sauce on the side, not mixed in. The kimchi jigae isn't that great but the beef tongue soup is pretty good. I wish the tofu soup (jigae) had more fresh seafood.. I also wish I could crack my own egg into my jigae's instead. =
(3)Christin J.
Spent Friday night at Mama's house. The place was pleasantly full, and we were able to make a reservation and be seated immediately at a BBQ table. We ordered tea (not great) and dumplings (ok) but the real treat was the BBQ. My husband and I got a sampler (around $42?) of chicken, beef, and pork. They were absolutely phenomenal. All the sides were great and we enjoyed sharing with our table of 4. We had a great time cooking over our grill and it was a fun way to spend an evening. Would definitely recommend a visit!
(4)Edward C.
Decent Korean restaurant. Came in for lunch and ordered "boolgogi." Meat was lean and had the right amount of flavor. My friend got their wings, which had a thick, sweet and spicy sauce. Interesting taste those had. Sadly, they don't accept American Express here.
(4)Alex S.
My friend and I got kbbq here - it was awesome. We ordered the mixed meat special of chicken, pork and beef because we wanted to try a little of everything. Everything was super delicious - the chicken was surprisingly spicier than the pork and beef. There's noraebang in a back room, that was super fun because there we could hear a party doing it in the back while we ate. While we were there, a group of like 10+ high school kids were eating here. It looked like the restaurant did very well with them, so I'd say this place is great for a larger party of people - you just get two barbeques put together instead of one. My eating partner and I quickly found out that I sucked at cooking the meat (I wasn't very organized with my "meat layout") - but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it in the future. It was still fun to try. There were a LOT of banchan, and we knew what most of them were. Only one we didn't recognize, but tried it anyway. Definitely will return, the experience was fun and the food was delicious! Worth the money. If you go here, try to keep an adventurous attitude.
(5)Sean C.
Well, this time, not so good. We ordered Galbi and Bulgoogi BBQ, and paid about 55 dollars for the 2 dishes, tax and tips included. The portion sizes are small. No one came once during our meals except bringing us our food. The small dishes (in the size of coffee/tea cup holders) that came with the meat were great, but when we asked for some refills of them, they obviously felt surprised and told us that they can only refill at most 3 of them. Well, that made us surprised too since this is the first time that a Korean restaurant refused to refill the banchan. It's a Korean tradition. Anyway, won't go back for a while; korean restaurants are famously expensive for what it's worth, but Mama's gave us one more reason to not to go back.
(2)Bonnie C.
I was hoping the food was better than the reception. It wasn't. I ordered Kimchee Jigae shrimp fried rice. The soup was reasonably spicy, but the flavor was masked by salt. The sliced pork was an inexpensive cut that took some chewing before I could swallow it. The shrimp in the fried rice was the cheap salad shrimp about the size of a fingernail. I liked the brown rice, but I didn't like what seemed liked mixed vegetables and the abundant black pepper seasoning. To be fair, I'm spoiled by the more authentic Korean restaurant I've visited in my travels. The food wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either...a tad pricey for soup and rice.
(3)Julia C.
I graduated over the weekend and there's nothing like having a taste of home after a big celebration. All the panch'an was so tasty, Dillon tried to block me from eating any--piglet :P I'm sure the wait staff thought we were weird; chopstick fighting settled everything!! I had yukgaejang and it was perfect for the chilly weather we had over the weekend. It warmed my filled my belly and warmed my soul. ^__^
(4)Bawi M.
This was my first Korean restaurant I ever tried. This place is a must go. I really love the place. the food was tasty especially their Kimchi is very good. We had a great time cooking over our grill and it was a fun way to spend an evening. They have the best Korean BBQ ever.
(5)Violet S.
What a hidden gem! So excited to have discovered a new asian restaurant in Indy. The menu was so unique and very similar to our experiences with Authentic Korean bbq's in Asia. Definitely scrumptious and fun! Downsides: It's a little on the pricey side and the portions of rice could be a bit more substantial. But overall, it's a great place for a nice night out! Don't let the surrounding area scare you away.
(4)Phi N.
The banchan was the best part. So many dishes and so fresh. The main food was just okay. I got the soondubu, pork belly, and galbi. The soondubu was very watery and not spicy enough (even though I asked for the hottest). The pork belly was normal pork belly, nothing particularly special. I prefer when they fry the pork belly, whereas here they just mixed it on the grill with the galbi. The galbi was just okay too. Not enough marination. I don't understand why koreans never want to offer the marination sauce as a dipping sauce after the meat is cooked. It would be so good. Service here was good and very friendly.
(3)Al L.
I took a real Korean person hear from LA and he said it was good, probably the best Korean restaurant in Indiana. They bring a set of hot coals to cook the food at the table, which is different then the typical gas top stove. Side dishes were good portions were good, but one dish will feed one hungry guy. Probably cannot be split on a date unless you eat lite. I will come back many times in the future. Make sure you realize that it is in a small strip mall, the it is easy to miss unless you have the gps on and listen to the directions.
(5)Thuy An N.
The seasoning of the meat is wonderful.
(4)Melanie J.
I have never eaten Korean food before. I tried this place for dinner and had the combination fried rice which included shrimp, chicken and beef. It was very good. My friend had the beef dish and fried rice. The sides are unique but very good and colorful. The kimchi tasted very good. Liked the idea of having the grill at the table...it was different and fun...I was a little impatient though because I was very hungry by the time I got there. Cooking my own food meant I had to wait a little longer and eat a little at a time, but I wanted to experience Mama's House the way it should be. Overall I had a good time.
(4)D M.
Located next to a liquor store at a dilapidated strip mall in a downscale neighborhood, Mama's is legitimately a hole in the wall eatery. The atmosphere is not that cozy, and the restaurant has a very dated feel to it. You'd think, "oh, they must have affordable food!" Sorry, but no. The dinner menu has no entrees under $14.99 and most of the entrees are $19.99 and up so prepare to spend a lot of money. Indianapolis needs more modern/contemporary Korean dining options. If this place is the highest rated ones, that shows how badly the Asian food scene here needs updating. But if you are craving Korean, this will have to suffice for now.
(3)Nobuyuki S.
What was I thinking, being cynical and all? It's difficult to find a good restaurant, even Korean restaurants. Sometimes, the food is good and the service is awful and it can be flip-flopped, and I've been to places where nothing goes right, and no one cares. (Speaking of being difficult to find, this one is on the south side of Pendelton Pike in the last strip mall west of Post Road.) Forget that, I was met shortly after I entered the building--there seemed to be 3 doors, each showing something different, and I was a bit confused. The waiter/host got a menu and took me to a table. Soon afterwards, he asked me if I wanted something to drink. I still hadn't decided what to eat. I thought that the prices were somewhat high, compared to restaurants in Ohio and Florida and Philadelphia. Restaurants in the LA/OC area are likely the cheapest in the U.S.A. since the ingredients in that area are also the cheapest. (I thought about the Ginseng tea but at $3.00 per cup (consistent with other restaurants), I found it pricey considering that I have a whole box of the Ginseng Gold at home and the Honey Powder that together cost me about $12.00.) I ordered an Al Jji Gae (fish egg stew) and at roughly $3.00-$5.00 more than usual, I had hoped that it had sufficient ingredients. I haven't had it since a certain Korean restaurant in Florida closed. I waited and the waiter brought everything out at once. Now, I'm accustomed to 6 ban chan (side dishes) with a jji gae but there must have been 10 or 12. I concentrated on only 3 of them. I was expecting that the jji gae would be served in pottery and that I'd deal with a metal bowl of rice with metal chop sticks. The metal pan for the jji gae threw me, as well as the porcelain rice bowl and the warubashi--broken/breakable chop sticks. (Sorry for the Japanese, I'm not sure of the Korean term.) The food was excellent. The fish eggs were as good as I've ever had, the radishes, clam, tofu, and spicy broth added to a wonderful meal--and possibly some euphoria. I was pleased that the waiters spent some time talking to me. I think I always surprise other Asians because they see my Caucasian side first (there is always some Asian in a CaucAsian, isn't there? Think about it!) They asked me if it was too spicy, which it wasn't. I didn't eat so many of the peppers but they added to the taste, instead of just being spicy or acidic, as you get in some restaurants. In any case, the interaction was good, and learning how other people do things is wonderful too. I'd make a bad Korean, as I pick up my rice bowl, for example, although that's difficult in most Korean restaurants due to the metallic bowl being hot but the bowl at this place was porcelain/stoneware. I'm guessing that this is the best Asian restaurant in the Indianapolis metro area with great food and great service and people who care.
(5)Jillian B.
I was a little iffy about this place, but do not judge it by the exterior. the food is amazing, plenty of sides, and very generous portions. the whole experience is a fun way to spend time with friends/family.
(5)Jessie S.
Couldn't help but notice all the raving Yelp reviews about this place, and had to try it! I grabbed my most open-minded, foodie-centric pal and headed east (this is not a part of Indy I typically travel). The place isn't much to see from the outside, but it's definitely worth the experience. The experience: I knew going in I'd get to grill my own food, but not until there's burning-hot coals dropped into the center of your table and the server leaves you with tongs and a plate of raw meat does it sink in. Taking turns playing grill master and throwing all the stuff in the bowls on the grill was a blast. And, not only was this a fun experience, the food was really, really good! The only downers: You pay a fair price for all this food and fun - about $20+ per person. Also, don't plan on going anywhere afterwards - you smell like a smokehouse (like go home and throw everything in the wash and take a shower intense). I wouldn't go every weekend, but special occasions; sure!
(4)Dalanza F.
Food was great but their service was lacking. We ordered the chicken wings, kalbi and chicken fried rice.
(4)Tony D.
Came here somewhat out of desperation when visiting Indy on Thanksgiving and finding few places that were open. As a native from the Bay Area, I was very impressed with the Korean fare served here. We got the japchae and spicy pork as many had suggested, and both were delicious. They were also extremely generous with their banchan selection--a total of 12 different dishes, even though we were only a party of two. Definitely recommend coming out here just for this. The liquor store next door is indeed sketchy; keep your valuables with you rather than in the car if possible.
(4)Ko T.
The server is super rude. We have three people and order an appetizer, one full dish and two BBQ entries. Upon the refill, we asked the server to refill for the side dishes and he looked at us and said we can only refill for three side dishes. We are okay with paying extra for side dishes but the attitude the server gave us is rude and impolite. Not recommend people to coming to this restaurant due to rude service.
(1)Justin S.
For some odd reason, I've never thought to write a review for Mama's. Huh. We've tried a good portion of the lunch menu. The Kalbi is smoky sweet and beefy. Wooguji soup is just the right spice heat. This I relish and eat slowly. The Yuk-Gai-Jang entry can be eaten almost entirely with chopsticks, then slurp the soup. What's difficult to chow on with the chopsticks is the Soon-Tofu. Loaded with soft tofu and small pieces of mussel, shrimp, beef and squid the proteins and veg are easy to pick up. The tofu takes a special skill to grab with the 'sticks. Gingerly cradle, lift out of bowl, dab on top of the rice, slurp! The rice by itself is one of the best in the city, possibly the country. High praise, right? What's surprising, but don't know why, are the 4 dishes of spiced turnip, spiced cucumber, kim chee and radish. Pleasantly fresh and great with the meal. Can't wait to try the BBQ.
(4)Patricia N.
It's still great! Though service can be a little off at times. (During lunch, the soup usually arrives before the meal - not after.) Oh well... Their lunch specials at $5.99 are still reasonable, although the Kalbi (short ribs) are now $7.99. I still enjoy other favorites like Boolgogee, Chop Chae, or Bibimbap, but my "go to" now is the "Spicy Pork Saute." For me, it's the most the most flavorful dish they've got for lunch. The spicy squid saute is equally delightful, but I just don't think I could handle it in mass quantity. For those of you new to lunch. Here's how it works. You choose an entree. Soup comes - Mostly Egg Drop, but sometimes Korean Radish Soup (Mu Guk/Moo Guk) or Miso Soup. Banchan arrives - 1) shredded white radish in a sweetened vinegar sauce 2) cucumber kimchi 3) cubed radish (daikon) kimchi 4) kimchi Shortly thereafter, your hot plate comes out. Enjoy!
(4)Neil S.
MaMas has an excellent spread of Korean dishes with ample side dishes to go with! If you have ever been to Korea and like the food or want a decent introduction I would recommend these guys here. The or tofu stew is very good; the or Korean 'full meal' with galbi and soybean soup are good too. The or soybean soup was a little too salty but otherwise perfect. Didn't have it this time but the barbecued selections also looked good! They are only missing and here.
(5)Bob L.
This is the best Korean restaurant in Indianapolis -- and of all the Korean restaurants I've tried, I can sat that Mama's is the best I've had in the Midwest. All of the food is authentic and if you go mid-afternoon between lunch and dinner, you'll probably see the restaurant staff socializing and eating around a big table. The service is pretty hands off, so you'll have to grab the waiter's attention whenever you need anything -- don't be shy.
(5)Dom C.
Good Korean food! soondobu (spicy tofu soup), Spicy squid, Galbi, Samgyupsal (spicy, marinated pork) are my favorite. They have lunch specials everyday until 2pm. Service is slow but it totally worth going to.
(5)Tahreem A.
Good food. The side dishes were my favorite. I also recommend the boolgogee. It was awesome!
(4)Aimee N.
During my trip to Indianapolis for work, I was really craving some good Korean BBQ. Found Mama's through Yelp! and after looking at the menu online, I had to go try. Really wanted to do the BBQ option, but you have to order two dishes which eating by myself while traveling on business was going to be too much. I decided to get my order to go and went with the galbee dinner. plenty of food for a great price! I got all the great side dishes of kimchi to go along with it and that is one of my favorite parts. this meal can easily feed two people. It came with two large portions of short ribs, big portion of rice and again all the yummy side dishes that I love about Korean food. If I didn't need to leave the next day, I would have reheated my leftovers to eat again, it was that good!
(4)Leslie H.
Mama knows it best! The food here is delish. It's as authentic as you can get. The restaurant is located in a sketchy area. It's a hit and miss when you're driving. Once you park, just lock your cars for safety. My hubby and I tried the house special bibimbap and the spicy pork and they were delish. It came with at least 13 different kinds of banchan (little dishes). They have the usual cabbage kimchi, pickled mushroom, bean sprouts etc. my favorite is the pickled garlic and jalapeño. It will truly knock your socks off. They also serve a cup of rice, lettuce and bean paste. Spread some of the bean paste on your lettuce, put the meat, roll then enjoy. The only draw back is the price for the house special dinner. It's a lil on the pricey side with not enough meat for a carnivore like my hubby. However, it was delish and truly worth visiting.
(5)Ntianu S.
My visit to Mama's House was, um, quite the experience. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. Would I go back, maybe, but wouldn't be in a hurry to go back. The menu is large and can be overwhelming. The question is, what in the world are you ordering? We honesty had no idea what to order or had a clear understanding of the various specialities. The staff was not very helpful at explaining the menu or being able to help us better understand what they had to offer. This was my biggest complaint, which took away from my experience. It took us well over 20 minutes just to figure out what the heck to order. I opted for the Jeuk Suk Wang Kahl-bee which you prepare over an open flame (a la the Melting Pot sans the oil!). It was a neat experience. The meat took awhile to cook making it difficult to fully enjoy the experience. I honestly think I should have been tipped because due to my proximity to the grille I was forced to help prepare most of the meat. With all this being said, I still think it's a cool spot to go to at least once, but don't expect stellar service and if you choose the speciality dinner be prepared to put in work!
(3)Mai K.
Good food (if you know what you're ordering). Bad service. I've been here twice. The first time I made the mistake of not taking my Korean friend with me. I didn't understand the menu and the server was one of the worst I've had. He couldn't explain to me what each item was when I asked, nor did he care for refilling our drinks or sides. (The restaurant wasn't that busy at the time) The second time we had a Korean lady coming with us and she was able to tell me what to get and not to get. Food was good, I really enjoyed the side dishes. But they lost me at the service quality.
(3)Christine K.
I love mamas. It Indy doesn't really have much korean food but mamas does a good job of making my homesickness a little better. The food is authentic and people are friendly. It's pricer than most other cuisines but I think it's because the food prep is so extensive. They have a nice BBQ combo that could easily feed 3 adults for people who have never tried korean BBQ. Their other soups are great too. The only downside is the area it's in.
(4)Sonya A.
I love Korean food! But this place was lacking. The service was pretty horrible and then food itself just wasn't flavorful and fulfilling. I wouldn't return. Food: 3/5 Service: 3/5 Location: 3/5
(2)Katherine P.
Korean BBQ is always delicious and they follow suit. They give a nice amount of side dishes. Had a party of 10 so were seated in the back banquet room. Table had two BBQ grills on both ends so very convenient for everyone to eat and cook and even for those who didn't want to cook. Ordered a variety of proteins which were all ample amounts and were deliciously marinated, but pork was pretty spicy though. Order the black raspberry wine, bottle cost $15.00, served in little shot glasses. Not the nicest of decorated or upscale restaurants, but food was delicious!
(4)H.J K.
Not many Korean restaurants in IN.. Our family visited IN and it was our first time to visit this restaurant because of yelp's review. Foods were just okay to me but not for my children.. We ordered Wang Galbi and LA Galbi from Kitchen instead of using the grill on the table which was our mistake and both my children didn't like it... Other foods were not really good as what Yelps reviewed.. Just one time was enough... Finally... Service was not really good neither... They seemed to care of only grill tables...
(2)Ashley P.
This is a regular haunt for lunches, the best time to come with the reduced menu prices. The sides are varied and you can always ask for an extra of your favorite. The pickled cucumbers have quite the kick to them. Service can be somewhat scattered as things get busy, but food generally comes out rather quick. They have recently changed their soup, and don't expect fried rice on the menu. In all, one of the better lunch locations in the area.
(4)Sal K.
So, this place is the exact opposite of Bando (see my other short review)... The service is good, food is "meh." This place has much more variety than Bando, but I prefer Bando's seemingly more authentic feel of a Korean restaurant (including the food) to Mama's Place. The Soon Do Bu which I use as a benchmark to gauge Korean Food worthiness is a bit bland at Mama's, as is the Dolsot Bibimbap.
(3)Tiffany T.
Not the best Korean food I've had by a long shot, but it takes the cake for best Korean food in Indianapolis. I've been here three times now, and the service is consistently bad. I've been there both at peak dining hours and when the restaurant was all but empty, but it still takes the waiters a ridiculously long time to get drinks and take your order. It might come as a shocker to some waiters, but we can see you standing around and doing nothing. As for the food, it's pretty decent. I've tried the BBQ (kalbi, beef tongue, bulgogi, etc.), and the marinade is done well. The kimchi pancake is a little greasy for my taste, and was brought out a bit cold. The bibimbop was very standard, and the soups are hit or miss. The banchan is yummy, and they'll give you more of what you like (if you can manage to flag them down). Overall, not bad and when I'm craving Korean, it's the place to go.
(3)Jason W.
Let me first start by saying that I have passed this place many, many times without ever giving it a thought. Well, the other day while perusing the area for something to eat my boss and I stopped in and had a bite to eat. It was not his first time but it was mine. I believe that we ordered Yuk-Gai-Jang and it was freaking amazing. instantly warms the body which is great as it was only 20 degrees outside. The taste was wonderful and with each bite it got better and better. You will get some of their side dishes which are also pretty good. The next day I couldn't stop talking about this place so my friend/boss and I went back. This time we got Mama's special beef. It was good but if I had to choose between the two dished Yuk-Gai-Jang wins it for me. Not saying the beef was bad because it was not, the beef is the Korean version of BBQ and comes with a large variety of sides and items. Everything seems pretty healthy and tastes out of this world.
(5)Jen F.
This place is amazing. Amazing is such a cliche word, but Yelp doesn't have a thesaurus. My husband dragged me here against my will a few weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon. It was a complete surprise until we pulled into the parking lot. He didn't even put the name into the GPS, he just put "Surprise." "You are now arriving at SUPRISE on right." ... and what a surprise it was. He even ordered for me, which he saw as romantic. Coupled with not being able to pick the restaurant, I saw it as totally controlling. "Two Dolsoet Babeem Bop, please." Before our Mmmm Bop arrived, they placed 10 tiny dishes of crazy looking stuff on the table. I've since learned these are condiments called banchan and they consist of kimchee (which we all know about thanks to the Food Network) and a bunch of other stuff we don't know about. It's all delicious and it all brings a different flavor to the mouth. I tried the pickled garlic and jalapeno. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! These are so good. Our Unskinny Bop arrived - SIZZLING. Yes, I said it. Sizzling. There's a fried egg on top and you have to stir it and stir it and stir it until you end up with a big hot bowl of the most delicious fried rice stuff, EVER. It's warm and flavorful. The rice that sits on the bottom gets kind of crispy. Coupled with the cool banchan dishes, you get a variety of flavors, textures and hot/cold. The gentleman working the dining room was so nice, helpful and attentive. I see reviews discussing bad service, but I had no complaints on this Saturday afternoon. As a matter of fact, two or three Saturdays later I was CRAVING a trip to Ma Ma's for more tasty goodness. This time, I told my husband that I was getting whatever I wanted. The same man was in the dining room and he remembered us. LOVE THAT. We had a third diner with us and, would you believe, that Mr. Controlling made is OWN BROTHER get the She Bop? Good thing it's delicious. Mushroom Tempura starter? Sure, I'll have that. Light. Crispy. Hot. Mushroomy. Perfect. I also had the Chicken Saute with is sliced chicken, vegetables and a spicy red sauce in a stir-fry like atmosphere. It was delicious and flavorful, but with a good amount of heat. I love hot food that tastes amazing. I hate hot food that just tastes like hot. Chicken Saute All The Way!! Guess what? I'm going back on Saturday and taking two friends! P.S. We've never had the Korean BBQ, so I can't comment on it. I just don't think that is ever going to be something I try. I mean, it's BBQ. I can marinate meat and throw it on the grill as well as the next guy. I'm going to continue to come to Ma Ma's for the creative, flavorful and authentic Korean dishes. At last I think they're authentic. I guess I don't really know.
(5)Elaine W.
WORST EXPERIENCE EVER! The food is not bad, but the service is horrible! The first Korean restaurant I've been to where the side dishes are not unlimited. We had 3 people in the group and out of the 10 side dishes offered, they only offer 3 refills. And even those 3 refills are not unlimited, meaning if out of the 10 side dishes you only like 3 of them, then too bad, you'll only get them refilled once. Also, let me repeat, the services were horrible, considered we spent over $100 on the meal, and a 18% tip is charged automatically, you think they would care about their customers a little... The truth is, not at all, they never show up unless we ask for something. No one asked how the meal was or even smiled at us.... Anyways, I will never come back again even if the food isn't too bad... Not worth the money!
(1)Heather H.
This place is FANTASTIC. This was my first experience eating korean food, and I was not disappointed. I was absolutely amazed at the smorgasbord of sides that were brought out for us to snack on. Apparently this changes with the seasons, but when I was there it included regular kimchi, cucumber kimchi, raddish root kimchi, marinated mushrooms, daikon, sauteed spinach, bean sprouts, and two fish things that I didn't eat, being vegetarian. NOTE TO VEGETARIANS: there is nothing on the menu that is vegetarian, but if you tell them you do not eat meat or fish, they will prepare one of the dishes vegetarian for you. There were two specific dishes they recommended to me that way - the chop chae, a noodle dish with veggies in it (which I had and was killer), and the bebeem bop, the name of which is awesome, that I will be trying next time. The service was excellent, my water kept full, and everyone very nice. I'm excited to find another great restaurant on the east side!
(5)Jemmie W.
First, we spent $85 for two adults and two kids with no alcohol. Second, the amount of meat for the BBQ was insufficient, especially for the price. Quote from my 5 and 7 year old daughters: "Where's the meat? I'm still hungry." Should have eaten faster, kids. We're a eat-first-ask-questions-later family. At Mama's House, the slow eaters go home hungry. Third, if this were a Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant, we would have paid about half of that $85 and my kids wouldn't have gone home hungry. Fourth, my car, which was parked in the parking space closest to the front door in broad daylight, had an attempted break-in where someone tried to pry off a door handle with a flathead screwdriver, and mostly succeeded. If the car had been parked one more parking spot away, it would probably be in Guatamala right now. So the quality of the food isn't bad except there's not enough meat, especially for a "BBQ". Price seems high. And I should have taken a taxi. Beyond those things, it was great.
(2)Julianna Y.
I was very disappointed with the food. The service was horrible, the waiters acted like they didn't see us when we needed them. They forgot to bring our rice out to us. I enjoy quality Asian cuisine, and I had better. My family and I did the Korean BBQ, and if I ever go back, I will probably just order off the menu.
(2)Damie A.
This is the best Korean food in Indy. With that said, it's not perfect, and the service is bad (in my experience typical of Korean restaurants)... if you need anything including your bill, expect to flag down your sever, or literally walk around the small place to find him... but the BBQ is good, and out of the 3 Korean restaurants I have found in Indy, it's the best. PS The shopping plaza is definitely sketchy but we keep going back for the food!
(4)Kristin S.
How have I not reviewed this heavenly place in Lawrence? My dear old boss introduced me to this place 3 years ago. Is place is cheap and worth the drive from downtown Indy for lunch. Their side dishes are always amazing and their menu gives you enough option to have fun for a while. While I absolutely detest the texture of the chop chae (gelatinous noodles) I have brought co workers who love it. The seaweed roll is fantastic as a side to share. Bulgogi and bim bim bap are my two favorite staples. I have yet to try the grilled food at your table. It's on the bucket list. You can't go wrong with this place. If you have never had Korean food don't be daunted. The wait staff is like family and they will help you.
(5)Libbie V.
Ha ha (shake shake). That's me laughing and shaking my head in disbelief whenever I read a bad review for the food at Mama's (shake shake). Anyway, every time I visit Mama's I order something exciting & different off the menu and I'm always completely blown away with the delicious flavors of each & every dish. And, the little bowls of various fermented and pickled vegetables are wonderful. I really love those little sea horses! Some recommended appetizers are the steamed wontons, the Korean pancake and the spicy wings. For dinner options I love the goat meat in spicy broth, the beef tongue that's slow cooked in a rich broth, anything that has kimchee in it (their kimchee is fabulous), and of course the Bulgogi and either of the Bop dishes. The meat selections for the Korean open flame BBQ are great - there's pork, beef, short ribs, beef tongue, seafood and then there's tripe for those that enjoy chewing their food a lot. We usually order hot tea and import beer to drink but recently we tried bottles of the Korean rice and herb wine and the Korean rice and fruit wine. Both were great. The service can be off at times so don't go there if you're in a hurry. Why would you want to be in a hurry anyway with all of that good food on your table?
(5)Arnold P.
I've read all the reviews and the people who give this 5 stars are obviously not Korean...It is honestly average at best, but thats coming from a Korean that has ate Korean food his whole life, im just saying...
(3)Bill S.
I haven't been to many Korean food restaurants, but this is a must in Indy. Don't be fooled by the exterior, the food is amazing. Try the kimchi. Also they have table top stoves (much like a fondue restuarant) so you can have a DYI meal!
(5)Jon A.
Although Kim Jong Il is wearing his stunners in the grave, Mama is still sporting her stunners in her dining room. Did I come hear to celebrate his death? Maybe. Did I come here to have the perfect dinner with perfect friends? Yes. It's been nearly a year since we've been here... and Mama is still sporting her rose-tinted stunners and working the room -- nowhere near South of age 85, too. Did the waiter look at my ID and say, "Richard Kimble?" Yes, yes he did. When's the last time you heard a fugitive reference -- no less a Kimble specific one? You haven't... that's why you can't think of it. It just so happens I love The Fugitive & Richard Kimble, so I took it as a great honor. The service wasn't just in jokes... it's in timing, attitude, and attention to detail. The last time I was here I salivated over a friend's Samsae Tang soup, and this time... we ordered it, and it's perfect for a cold night: it's a game hen stuffed with dates and ginger, then boiled to create a brothy, gravy soup, and they leave the whole hen in the soup. We grilled pork belly at our table, we ate pickled daikon & kim chi, we grilled pork belly at our table. We had a perfect dinner.
(5)Sara L.
Once you go here and experience the flavor sensation that is the all-awesome all the time fiasco known to us fools as Mama's House, it will dwell in your brain like an addiction and you will be left wanting nothing....but more. You'll go once, freak out about how flipping awesome it is, and then keep going back. If you get one of Mama's Specialty Dinners or one of the two items on the other side of the menu that have 'Korean Full Dinner' attached to the name, you get like 12 side dishes of mostly various kimchi. I suggest you do this at least once because, along with being intensely, nearly woefully overpowering with amazingly mind-numbing flavors, the visual presentation is intensely beautiful. Also, if one of your little kimchi dishes runs out, they will refill it at no charge, you just need to ask. Here, let me put it simply: MaMa's house is a place where it is impossible to eat without making sex noises and sex faces. You can't help yourself. You just can't.
(5)Jeff K.
The wings are so freakin good I can't believe it. They were the best wings I've ever had. Amazing wings!!
(4)Charles S.
By far the best Korean food in Indianapolis. One of the best casual dining Korean restaurants I've eaten at in the USA. Authentic food, we'll prepared. Staff is friendly and helpful. We have been going to Mama's House for 20 years and have had consistently great meals.
(5)Rick B.
went to lunch today, had the korean chicken wings.. its like sweet and hot sauce and xtra crispy...
(5)