4. Restaurants

Secret Garden Restaurant

21025 Hwy 99, Lynnwood, WA, 98036
  • (425) 771-5546
  • Store is closed

Secret Garden Restaurant Menu

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  • Chelsea G.

    I've noticed people tend to love or hate this place. You can count me as a fan though I've been described by many as a glutton for punishment. There's really only one reason for coming here: the AYCE Korean BBQ with no time limit for about $20 per person. The things mentioned in negative reviews are kind of true. There are two servers, an older lady I call "Mama-san" (and yes, I'm totally aware that she's Korean, it's an inside joke) she's a total sweetheart and a younger woman, who's taller, thin, wears glasses and is a complete bitch. (If you become a regular, she warms up to you, a little) When walking into the restaurant, you'll notice immediately that it's dank and dingy. The place is in sore need of a good scrubbing. When you receive your plate of raw meat, all of the meats are swimming together chicken, beef, pork all willy nilly (I have yet to get sick), if you're cooking your meat too slow, the bitchy server will come over and commandeer your cooking station. The banchan is a bit sparse but not bad. I also feel obligated to issue some PSA's regarding the restaurant: 1. There are menu's for you to look at, they do more then BBQ but you have to ask for them. They won't just give them to you. If you feel too intimated to ask for a menu, go up the cashier area and get one, they're stacked right in front. 2. If you go for BBQ, you're charged PER PERSON. There seems to be a misconception that if there are 4 of you and you only eat one plate of meat, you should only be charged $20. o.O I don't know where this idiotic notion comes from but, just, no. 3. You will most likely be ignored after you order, so if you need refills on anything. You're going to have to flag your bitchy server down (sorry), the flip side of that is that you can wave and yell at her from across the room what you need and she'll bring it to you and no one will think you're being weird or rude. 4. Good luck trying to decipher your tab unless you read Korean, also no such thing as separate tabs, it's all on one and then your party as the fun job of dividing it up. All in all, I've had great times here. I've come in with a party of 10 to 15 people and stayed upwards of 4 to 5 hours eating and drinking and then taking the party to the karaoke bar that's attached. This place isn't for the faint of heart and the market will ultimately dictate if it rises or fails.

    (4)

  • Huy T.

    Crazy from the start. Asked for menu, waitress instead asked us what meat we wanted. Side dishes were terrible, meat was disgusting. It was a traumatic experience.

    (1)

  • Ann N.

    The only place that has a spicy marinated meat! Service is very slow though due to only one lady working. But the banchan and all the meat selections were very good!

    (4)

  • D. W.

    My wife and I have been here at least 20 times and we love it. It REALLY needs to be remodeled and really needs to be somewhat cleaner. We always have one of two waitresses. One good and friendly. The other acts like she really hates her job and you too. When we walk in, and its the nice lady, we are happy. When we walk in and it's the other, we are bummed, but have learned to just deal with her as we now know what to expect. We will be back again. They do have a section for larger family or friend gatherings in a corner. I vote only 2 stars for the atmosphere and building condition. I vote 5 stars for the delicious healthy food.

    (4)

  • Quinn K.

    Worse experience that I ever had. The service here sucks, it was so bad that we couldn't even sit down and enjoy our food. The waitress, who had a mean look towards us right when we walked in, make it impossible to even stay for 10 minutes. The place was empty except for us. We tipped them 10$ and walked straight out without ordering any food. I refuse to sit down and eat in a place where we aren't welcomed as customers. Ruined our whole night. What a shame.

    (1)

  • Jenny H.

    yes, i've had higher quality korean bbq, but every time i eat here my taste buds and tummy are extremely happy when i waddle out. call me weird, but i actually really like that this place is kinda run down and the fact that the korean ladies who work it don't butter you up. people who get all worked up about not being treated like they are special have obviously never been exposed to korean culture. suck it up and just enjoy your food. ever heard of an ahjumma? that's how it rolls in korea, dude. another plus for me is that i really like the banchan here. they always have a good variety and it's definitely homemade. they say you can judge a korean restaurant by its kimchi and so i'd say it's a go!

    (4)

  • SANDRA M.

    I think this place is underrated. It is our favorite all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ. They don't have a lot of rules and the price is great. ($20 as of 2013) Food is very good. I was born & raised in Korea,, trust me.

    (4)

  • Jordan H.

    Finally went in after driving past for years & years. I wanted to like you so bad Secret Garden, but it was pretty dingy & a one woman show.. (SLOW!) She was quite nice, however there was too much cross contamination with raw meat juices & scissors that I was fearful of the outcome! She showed us how to wrap up the meat & sides in the Lettuce leaves & proceeded to feed my Husband! Which was a bit too much for us. Save yourself frustration & possible sickness.. ;)

    (2)

  • Diana C.

    $20 for all you can eat kbbq. Pricy but I haven't found anything cheaper in this area. From my memory, you get kalbi, spicy bulgogi, bulgogi, and chicken. I'm glad they have the mashed potato side dish, my favorite. They also give you lettuce to eat with the meat. Not very impressed with service. We came at an odd hour, so we were the only customers, but the lady just brought our food and didn't appear again for the longest time. (I wanted refills of side dishes and tea) Food quality wise, it was pretty good. I've only been to two kbbq places so not going off of too much.

    (4)

  • Melody P.

    Karen, a friend, and I went to Secret Garden for All you can eat Korean BBQ (Lunch $15 and Dinner $20). We had dinner. It's good for a group of people. The owner lady I believe is very enthusiastic about helping customers with their BBQ. I love all their little dishes which I can't name. The mashed potato and fish cakes are two of my favorites! However, the sanitary is in question. The lady put meat we didn't finish right back in her tray in front of us. I was a little worried! Hm... not sure if I like that. I could be served with what she put back in from other customers :-| scary, isn't it?

    (3)

  • Brian B.

    I'd been to this place a number of years ago and felt it was pretty good. I recently tried it again because I really wanted to try Korean barbecue. Never had it before. I read the reviews for this place and some of the other places around town. Decided to try it here. I personally felt like it was pretty darn good, especially for the value. I came at around mid-afternoon and I was literally the only person there. Normally that might have freaked me out, but I wasn't going to be deterred. The lady who was running the place was pleasant. She didn't even bat an eye when I asked if I could do the Korean BBQ all by myself. She let me choose a plethora of meats to go onto the tabletop grill. She was kind enough to show me how the whole process worked after the got the burner/grill going. I had several panchan, some of which I recognized from 10 years ago when I tried it last. That was kind of cool. Longevity can be a good thing. I had a couple of types of kimchee, the mashed potato salad, lotus root (which is very interesting and exotic -- at least to me), fried tofu, and several others. They were all good. Damn, I do love me some kimchee. Anyway, once I got the hang of it, it was a lot of fun. I had pork belly, spicy chicken, pork, beef short ribs and kalbi beef. I'm sure there are places where the meats are probably higher quality, and so forth, but I really enjoyed this. I learned something, got some good, solid grub out of it, and enjoyed it. It filled me up too. Believe me when I tell you that is no easy feat. They managed it. My review and 4 star rating isn't really putting much consideration into the service. Having read some of the reviews for these guys and some other Korean restaurants, I was primed for the fact that they don't "hover." If that is typical, that's cool. So since I understood that, I knew more or less what to expect. HOWEVER, that being said, I've got to think there's got to be more of a happy medium. And they weren't really hitting that mark. About two-thirds of the way through, I ran out of the lettuce you use to wrap the meat, rice and condiment mixture. It might have been nice to have some more or to have someone ask if I needed anything else. When I was ready to pay, I was literally standing there for a number of minutes with my wallet in my hand, ready to pay. She was vacuuming the floor. It's not like the only dude in the restaurant could be missed. Then I took out my credit card. Still took several minutes of no reaction before I had to call out for her to tell her I was ready to pay. I'm patient and I'd had fun, so this wasn't enough to dissuade me from not going back, but sure seems like they might have noticed me trying to pay. Anyway, I know I'll be back, so anyone else who is interested in making a foray into this very interesting cuisine, I think this would be a good place to start.

    (4)

  • Brandon C.

    Best Korean bbq in town! All you can eat for $20 per person and so much choices. The staff is friendly and talks to you. Makes you feel welcome. Anytime I'm craving Korean bbq, I always come here!

    (5)

  • Flora C.

    It's a dark and sticky environment. This is an absolutely not a four star rating restaurant. The food was just raw meat in marinate. Once ate, I did not get flavor or get a stomachache type of restaurant. The side dishes are the same story. There is no niche for this secret garden. It should remains a secret. The beef tongue was so frozen and thick. It's not a good eat. For $20.80 after tax, it is a straight forward AYCE KBBQ. Compared to Palace in Federal Way (not Bellevue), this is the under dog.

    (2)

  • Zulkiffly S.

    This place is not very hard to find. It's really easy to spot when you are passing by on Highway 99 north. When you walk in it's a little darker than most Korean BBQ place. We came here on a Tuesday night, so it was pretty slow. The food was as good as any other Korean BBQ place. Saying that, I would come back, becuase the food wasn't bad. The prices of the food and the drinks were not over priced or anything. It was properly priced. There's nothing special here, but if you just want to eat, then come. But there is nothing bad to say about it either. And that's why it is a four star.

    (4)

  • Eric L.

    Been there once, terrible service, though the meat looks fresh, they didn't taste like it. Only one woman was serving us, and she was giving us the attitude. Never smile, and when we asked for something, she never said yes nor nod her head, we don't even know if she gets what we're asking. By the end of the dinner, she even asked for tips, I mean we are already really unhappy for paying $20 for a all you can eat Korean BBQ with this bad food and service, and now you're asking for tips!? Keep dreamin lady.

    (1)

  • Lia D.

    My sister spoke highly of this place and since i love korean bbq, we decided to take our dad here for his birthday along with my brothers, husband and my baby. I've been to so many korean restaurants and i have never been to one as filthy as this one. The minute i entered the place, i was like 'oh no'. Old chairs and tables, dirty floor, greasy walls and dim lights. Imagine yourself in that! Everything about it feels dirty. Service was horrible!! The waitress was EXTREMELY RUDE!! I get that she was busy..but i will not excuse any attitude! When she brought out the meats.. I tell ya..i have never seen anything so gross. The beef and chicken were piled up together in one plate and you can see the juice their sharing. Stupid lady spilled some of the bloody juice on my daughter's baby carrier without an ounce of apology on her face. My husband washed and sanitized it as soon as we get home. I was extremely angry the whole time i was there because of the poor service. Do you know how hard it is to enjoy korean bbq with a boiling head? I could never make myself return to this place. Never!!! I rather spend my money elsewhere.

    (1)

  • Agnes P.

    I am very angry. First of all, this is my very first negative review I have ever written. I am upset, irritated and disgusted with this filthy restaurant and what made it worst was the MAIN LADY THAT served us. Worse customer service! She is so rude. This place needs to get shut down. Please don't waste your money on this filthy smelly place with a woman THAT IS so RUDE, I refuse!

    (1)

  • Kevin C.

    The thing with secrets is that it's often underwhelming once the veil is lifted. The Secret Garden fulfills this prediction wonderfully. Eating at the Secret Garden is like looking at a painting with only primary colors. It's really appealing at first - it's accessible and easy to take in. You've got sweet from the overly-marinated meats, umami from the grill, salt and sour from the admittedly numerous and well-done banchan, and bitter from the various fermented offerings. However, these basic groups can really only satisfy you for so long before you long for something more complex, more interesting. Perhaps some chili paste would've brightened up the plate, or at least some chopped garlic. There was nothing really spectacular about the entire meal. The only thing that really got my attention was the price.

    (2)

  • Lindsay P.

    Hubby and I went here the other night with our Real Estate agent (she treated us) and we each tried one of the Dolsot dishes. Both my agent and hubby had spare ribs and I had the seafood. One thing when we walked in that kept me a little unsure was how empty it was. But shortly after we were sat down a TON of Korean teenagers/young adults came in and just went to town on the all you can eat bbq. This is usually a good sign when your own people are coming in. Overall, I felt like my dish was bland, but hubby said his was good. I don't know if we'll return to this restaurant though because there are so many AMAZING ones around. That and hubby was constipated for two days after. :(

    (3)

  • Noelle V.

    This place is pretty good. $20 for all you can eat? That's less than I'd pay at my favorite k BBQ. Sides were tasty, and I have to say there were a ton to choose from. Service was ok, only one lady at the time considering it was around 3 in the afternoon. Not really a high traffic time for food. A couple negatives, the tables did not have lighting under the exhaust, so It was pretty dim. Server didn't turn on the exhaust so we definitly smelled like BBQ after. That's all, I'd go back.

    (4)

  • Tanya S.

    All you can eat! Too bad the quality is not good, whatsoever. If you've never been to Korean BBQ, you'd probably think this place is alright and a great deal. The pan chan (side dishes) are some of the most unappetizing I've had, and we are pretty spoiled in the North end with some quality Korean restaurants so there is a high standard. The meat, while unlimited, was dripping with juices and mixed with other types of meats... as much of a meat lover as I am, even I couldn't really stomach that much meat piled high on a plate. The wait staff was nice when we went in (my parents have had bad experiences) but a little too generous. After we finished our first order of meat, they offer to refill what you like. We said sure and tried to get some spicy pork. They brought out the SAME quantity... piled high to the ceiling! Maybe it was the end of the night and they wanted to get rid of meat? It doesn't make any sense to me, but it was a little overwhelming when we were already full. On top of the excess of meat... something to look for in KBBQ restaurants is good ventilation. If you open the door and smoke is wafting in your face, that's obviously not a good sign. Somehow this place has been for forever, but I don't think I'll be returning when there are plenty of other, cleaner, higher quality KBBQ along Hwy 99 from Shoreline to Lynnwood.

    (2)

  • Irwan N.

    The lady was super friendly and the meat was generous. Great selection of meat. However, it was very smoky when we ate there. Wish they'll turn on the hood fan longer :(

    (4)

  • Mo M.

    We have been here on 5 meaty occasions now, as I wanted a nice average of visits before posting. The language barrier people complain about is not so severe, I think that selective listening comes into play when employees feel disrespected or are spoken to like morons. The customer service is not the reason you go here. It is the FOOD, the grilled perfection you control, and the little army of side dishes to taunt you with their sassy flavors. It can be slow. It can be smoky. It is always delicious. For the price and quality, it's worth it. added photos of spread. nom.

    (4)

  • Wendi F.

    mmm Korean Barbecue. I shoveled my head full of various tasty meats, though the bulgogi and the chicken were by far my favorite, and munching on various tasty things in tiny bowls. This was a ton of fun with a group of friends (See Charles W's review, he was there with me lol) The waitress was super attentive and so very kind! I will be back since A) I love this social set up environment, we had a group of 8 people busily shoveling food into their faces and enjoying the relaxing atmosphere B) HELLO ALL YOU CAN GORGE YOURSELF ON!. 20 bucks was a great deal to hunker down and stuff yourself full on. Next time I'm wearing sweat pants, cause damn, I need that extra room to pack extra food in.

    (4)

  • Julie B.

    I love the pork belly & bulgogi. The service is "ok", she hardly came around, but the food is so delicious that that's ok.

    (4)

  • Charles W.

    Just got back from an outing there and let me tell you, the food is pretty good. The establishment has a back lounge that can get kind of loud if the restaurant isn't full. But don't let that deter you. This is a good place to get unlimited Korean BBQ. The spicy pork has a little spice, but not overpowering at all. The bulgogi is dynamite, and despite other reviews I read before coming here, the chicken is tender and flavorful with little fat or gristle. The waitress was nice, and this seems to be a place to take your date, as there were a few couples that came in. At about $20 a head, it's reasonably priced as well. The bathrooms were well maintained and properly stocked. It's right off of Aurora, and quite easy to find as well. I will be returning. Good times.

    (4)

  • Christine O.

    Delicious! Love this place. This is the first KBB I've had, so it will hold a special place in my heart ! ^_^ Now, I've actually never looked at the menu. The lady the works there knows my bf's face (who has been a regular). Everytime we go in, we sit down and are immidiately given sides and water. Then she comes with a cart full of raw meat and puts it on the burner for us. When it's slow, she pretty much cooks everything for us and everything dandy. When it is busy, however, it's a different story. Don't get me wrong the food is still nummy as ever, but I only see one lady/waitress ever working there so all of the short staffed cons come into play i.e. wiating forever to get drinks, refills, more food, ect. Also, it's almost as if you have know how to order to get extra yummy stuff (beef briskets anyone?). The last time I came here was like 3 weeks ago and we took some friends who had never been before. One of them asked to look at a menu and was just confused so he ended up eating KBB with us. I can see how this could be somewhat confusing to people new to the resturant - or rather new to korean BBQ. But overall, the food is great, 20 bucks per head isnt so bad either for all you can eat gorgefest. I am a fan of Korean food, this is probably one of my favorite resturants despite the sometimes slow service. I can live with it!

    (4)

  • Tony Y.

    Went here again after couple years of meaning to return. My buddy owed me a dinner so we went out here and I took the wife along. This place is a very short drive from home so thats great. Anyways, service here was great, probably up there with Hankang for service quality (for korean restaurants). The ladies were so helpful and were always quick to serve us for meat to cook, refill rice bowls & water glasses. The meat was super delicious!! I dont remember it tasting so good the last time we were here but it really hit the spot. Prices are good for what you get, if you go to a non all you can eat korean bbq and order this much food it would cost alot more. I suppose that also depends on how much you can eat, if you are a super pig like me this place is perfect. We shall return soon,

    (4)

  • Janie M.

    Very interesting experience. A couple of caveats. Don't go here if you are expecting an American restaurant and American standards. And don't go here if you don't LOVE meat. My first impression was that it was quite chilly. Dress warmly. I kept my coat on and borrowed my husband's coat to put over my lap. I was okay then. I didn't notice the temperature after that. I also noticed, and this is one of the ways I determine the authenticity of any ethnic restaurant, the majority of the diners were Asian. As in, we were the only Caucasians. So my guess is this is fairly authentic Korean food. Only a guess since it's the only Korean food I've ever eaten! Cleanliness... hmm... there was dried rice on my place mat. Not so appetizing. I politely folded the place mat and set it aside. Everything else appeared to be clean. We were immediately presented with the little side dishes. I explained to the waitress that we had never done this before and asked if we were supposed to just eat the side dishes? She said yes, and told me what everything was. Interesting stuff. We waited quite a while for an offer of beverages, but eventually we asked if we could have something to drink. I'm not sure if this is the norm, but be aware that this could happen. Drinks apparently aren't a given. Not like American restaurants where it's the first thing covered. Then came the meat. OMG, so much meat! You have to kind of figure out the meat yourself. There were maybe 5 different kinds of chicken, pork, and beef. Okay, for those of you complaining about the fat and weird pieces on the chicken - it's a chicken thigh. Thighs are more flavorful but hard to clean all the junk off of. If you are real particular about that, don't eat the chicken, but it's very tasty! And I AM very picky about meat, I just was very careful about what parts I ate and what I discarded. My favorite meat was the spiced pork - though it was almost over-marinated, beyond tender into a bit mushy. Good flavor though. Oh, and they did ask us how much spice we wanted. I suggest having more than one cook in your party. I did all of the cooking for the two of us and I didn't realize until a couple of hours after we left that I hadn't eaten enough. I was hungry! Take turns or somebody won't get enough to eat. Bottom line, don't go here if you can't leave your American ideals at the door. You aren't in America, you are in Korea. Be adventurous and enjoy the experience. It was fun.

    (4)

  • Praisye S.

    I went there with my bf and a friend of mine like 2 months ago. I don't know exactly what they were order tho. After a couple minutes the waiters come with food, i believe thats beef, chicken, and pork. And You know what, what was the first thing that make me wanna threw up?? They served all of that in the same plate and mix with blood, so nasty. The waitress we had was a very nice lady who made sure we had enough food and drinks! She did have a strong accent but she makes every effort to communicate with us. Anyway, I don't like the way that she control our tongs and scissors. I know maybe she try to be nice and teach us how to do it. But hello... we all know how to do it. We try to tell her that we can do by our self, but she still doing it. She also taught us to eat the beef with the salad, and she took the salad with her hand and put in our beef. It's so unbelievable. The last part that I want to let you guys know is after we all get home; me, my bf and my friend got diarrhea. Lucky my bf and my friends only sick for a day. But I got sick for almost a week!! We'll never come back! One more thing, the restroom is so nasty; the toilet bowl is hard to flush. If I can, I'm just gonna put zero star!

    (1)

  • Robert L.

    You know this is an amazing Korean BBQ restaurant because it's a hole in the wall and the servers barely speak English. They give you two options, buffet, or order off the menu, why would anyone order off the menu? The buffet is about $20, and you get your choice of several types of meat: bulgogi, beef chunks, pork belly, short ribs, spicy pork, chicken, etc. and did i mention it was a buffet? Just tell your server which meats you want, and it's yours! Just thinking about it makes me want to go back... You also know this place is a legit Korean place because they give you enough side dishes to cover 75% of the table. My friends and I dedicate the other 25% to soju and beer ;)

    (5)

  • Chris S.

    This place is freaking awesome. Went here after running 6 miles, so I was super hungry. Tried to keep my expectation low as I haven't had a good experience in a Korean BBQ place before. All the meat you can eat, and the hostess came by and assisted us with cooking it. Everything tasted good, and now I'm a big fan of this place. Definitely coming back here again.

    (5)

  • Belikewater W.

    My wife is Korean and when we want to get down and consume A LOT of Korean BBQ (MEAT / Kogi) for little $ we come here. She is a regular & we get great service! Sure it's a hole-in-the-wall, but we've never had any issues eating here. Yes, English is a 2nd language here, but if it wasn't you'd pay more. You get banchan (side dishes with kim chee) included. They also have a separate bar with karaoke. They have a tatami room too. We've had parties of 20 before, but I'd call ahead if you have a large party. If you don't want to be the one to cook the meat then this may not be the place for you? I do believe having the waitress do it is an option? It's a lot of good food and fun for little money.

    (5)

  • Tony R.

    (4.5 STARS) This is the only spot I go to for Korean BBQ. It is all you can eat, $18-$20 a person and by all you can eat I mean, all the Kalbi, Bulgogi, Spicy Pork and whatever other options that you can eat! They have the grills on each table, so you get the Korean BBQ feel and you get to cook it yourself. The lady who runs it is really nice and if you come around enough, she will joke around with you and kick it with you at the karaoke spot next door. jk, but she is very nice and thservice is great. I never had anything but the all you can eat there and with that are all the sides you want as well- kimchi, lettuce wraps for the meat, rice, potato salad and other sides. Only drawback is that it's in Lynnwood (deep for many) and its not the fanciest place in the world. But if you just want quality Korean BBQ without it being overpriced, this is where you need to be.

    (4)

  • Anthony H.

    Korean BBQ Buffet? Count me in!!! Went on Saturday night expecting it to be really busy, but it was really slow at the restaurant which was a good thing for us. All the meats are very well flavored and incredibly good. The side dishes were the normal Korean side dishes, but this place had Kim Chi cucumbers which were really good! Fresh and spicy! Normally at these Korean BBQ joints, you've got to do the grilling/cooking yourself, but since it was so slow the hostess were kind enough to manage it for us. They always made sure we had enough to eat and drink.

    (5)

  • Paul B.

    Oooooo magically delicious! Why aren't there more Korean BBQ buffets near Seattle?! They have a lot of good stuff. It's typical of any bbq buffet you'd find in California. Price is pretty good for all the shii you get. Beef tongue is the best, but you'll have to ask for it specialty. Most of the people don't know English, which might be challenging, but just point to what another table is getting and you're set. Everyone there is really nice though and makes your dining experience fun and filling at the same time. My biggest gripe about this place is the lack of ventilation. For an indoor BBQ'ing place, why don't the fans work?! My eyes were watering so bad from the smoke that it kind of detracted from the taste of the food. Quite unfortunate...I'd still come back though. Hopefully they would have fixed it by now. Or just ask to be seated near a door or open window.

    (4)

  • Cameron W.

    Forget all the other reviews on this place. Forget all the back and forth "They're Great / They Suck" arguments. Here's a list of a few questions to ask yourself if you want to eat there (and just to appease all the haters out there - you should probably answer Yes to all the questions before you seek out the Secret Garden): Are you hungry? If your answer is yes, then you should go there. Are you ok with smelling like smoke after you're done? If your answer is yes, then you should go there. Are you a carnivore? Yes, see answers above. Are you ok with waitresses who tend to be a bit on the agressive side? [The only thing I can equate it to is when you eat at your best friend's house in highschool and his mom tells you that you should eat more and emphasizes this by putting an extra hamburger on your place - it may be a bit out of place or unwarranted but it's only because you're best friend's with her offspring.] If yes, then head on over. Last question, and it's the same as the first - are you hungry? I only ask it twice because - seriously all - it is a CRAP load of food - but OOOH SOOO Tasty. All in all, the great bounty of awesome tasting meats and Korean side dishes literally outweighed anything negative about the place. And the intensity of the waitresses we had only added to the good time we were all having.

    (5)

  • Charles K.

    Its definitely a hole in the wall, we go there once in awhile, its rates as a dive in my book and reminds me of some of the places I've ate at in Asia, so posters of half naked woman on beer advertisements don't bother me. Its typical Korean BBQ Buffet, an old lady who I think might be the owner's wife comes around with a cart full of different kinds of meats. We usually don't get the bulgogi and stick with steak, kal-bi, bacon and whatever else is on there except chicken and bulgogi. They give you a bunch of korean appetizers to round out the meal with lettuce and sauces. A lot of times when its busy and the old lady is doing practically everything. It'll be hard to get something. She's pretty good about letting customers help themselves especially to the drinks. If you love meat, hit this place up, you won't disappointed! Once you get through the dive aspect, this place is cool!

    (4)

  • D.J. Y.

    Ooophhh... AYCE Korean bbq??? BRING IT ON BABY!! There's a secret here oh boy and I'm here to tell you!! Too bad this place is such a poor excuse for a Korean BBQ joint. Went sometime a few summers ago, no AC, that sucked major big time. Because when firing up Korean BBQ, heat comes in the form of flavor and from the gas fired grill at your table! Whew, it was hot, an Africa hot... So hot the ice melted in our water glasses, by the way, this is as close to water served in Mexico I'd ever want to experience. This stuff tasted really bad. Maybe that was an omen of things to come... They offer two types of service here, AYCE and regular, which means you just order what you want, in smaller portions. First out the wonderful side dishes, oh, I'm sorry, the usually wonderful side dishes. Here they serve up some really bad stuff. I mean when Kim-chi tastes like a soggy dish towel and has the same texture, something is wrong. Amongst the regular pickled affair they served a potato salad, which the mayo distinctly looked as brown as the potatoes. Yuck. Next, the grill was fired up, and out came the frozen meat. I know it was frozen because I could see the freezer burn and frost on the meat! The hostess/waitress/owner/chef and bottle washer plopped down all the beef on top of the grill and placed the chicken right on top of it, my wife doesn't eat beef anymore so this was a major turn off for her. We had asked in advance if they served chicken, we just didn't know it was served up with the beef. While I tried to keep the beef on one grill and the chicken on the other, the waitress kept taking over the cooking duties and put more beef onto our "chicken only" grill, I tried to stop her to no avail. Once most of our party had eaten their fill I asked for just a serving of the short-ribs. For which the waitress proceeded to pile on a ton of other beef products, again I attempted to communicate my wish for only a few short-ribs, it fell on deaf ears. Once I was done eating, there was an huge pile of leftovers. It was really a shame, I think a small African country could have lived off the stuff for a better part of a year with what was leftover. I simply asked if we could take it home, more or less to feed to the local raccoons in our neighborhood, since I wouldn't serve that crap to our dogs. The mistress shot me the most evil of evil eye's I've seen this side of H*ll! And barked at me that this was an All You Can Eat type of service, for which I replied, "Oh really? Enjoy my leftovers and please don't serve it to the next table." We paid and left. So, if you ever wish to make a visit to H*ll on earth, check this place out mid-August...

    (1)

  • Rob G.

    I was taken here for a meeting and there were more flies in the resturant than there were people eating lunch. This place blows up at dinner time and sits barren the rest of the day. My food was greasy. The tea glasses were mugs from goodwill or something like that (they were from different unrelated companies, not part of a set), odd. I was flying out that evening and was certain that this was going to be rough on me in a plane later on. Perhaps we went at a bad time. The prices were decent and most of the KimChee was good (some of it was dried out or nasty). I'd give it a second chance if someone else was paying the bill.

    (2)

  • C. N.

    My kids had a ball coming here and loved cooking their own food. The gal running the place was super nice, she was the only server there so it was a little slow after a while, but we weren't in a hurry so it was not a big deal. The highlight was receiving the platter piled high and loaded with various meats. (The liquid on the platter is marinade- not blood) The chicken and the spicy pork were surprisingly good even though I told myself I would only gorge on the beef. About 1 1/2hrs later, we left super stuffed. As for the sides, my favorite was the Korean green onions in the light vinegar marinade...... it went perfect with the meat. We didn't have problems with the ventilation and of course it is to be expected after sitting around for over an hour, cooking meat on a grill that you will smell like meat......

    (4)

  • Poulina K.

    A 2.5 stars...would be a 3 if the place was cleaner. I am a true carnivore...so naturally, I love Korea BBQ. This place could definitely use some major deep cleaning. I understand that when you have table top grills things will get greasy, but that is not an excuse. New paint new carpets, could do wonders for the atmosphere. This is a neighborhood place, so no high expectations. we grabbed 2 buffets. The meat was good, especially the cube steak and the bulgogi, chicken is dark meat, kal-bi marinated and tasty. Side dishes were very basic and not that much variety. Overall a decent Thursday night meal, however there are much better places in Seattle (Shilla's) or even The Honey Pig in Tacoma.

    (2)

  • Eugene C.

    Honestly, unlimited Korean BBQ for 17 dollars is a deal. If you look at it purely from a quantity stand point, what more is there to talk about? One reviewer complained about the waitress giving them the wrong order, being less than friendly, or not giving them menus. First off, the only thing worth having at Secret Garden is the BBQ, so the waitress probably saved you. Secondly, you can notice pretty quickly that the waitress there isn't remotely fluent at English. And not receiving menus? It goes back to the first one. She saved you. It's not the best Korean food I have ever had. It's also not the worst. I can say I was very satisfied with my experience. You never really get the best of any kind of food when you go to a buffet. The side dishes were pretty good, the unmarinated meat was great, and the marinated meats were just ok. I'll tell you this honestly. You will have MUCH better service if you take a Korean speaking individual with you. The waitress was rather indifferent to us at first, but once two of our party started speaking in Korean with her, she really opened up and the dinner experience became more friendly. We were actually supposed to clear our table by 9:00 pm, but since we were still hungry, she allowed us to stay a bit longer. All the while, she kept on bringing out more meats to fill our bellies with. So spend your $17 if you want to get so full on Korean BBQ that you cry out in pain. If you want to get other types of Korean food, go a bit further north on Hwy 99 then find more Korean Restaurants there.

    (4)

  • Jacquie C.

    Let me start by addressing some of the negative comments. This is a hole-in-the-wall Korean barbecue, not an upscale restaurant. I was neither surprised nor offended when the waitress didn't speak much English. If anything it adds to the charm of the restaurant. The heating and cooling is mostly in sync with the seasons, hot in the summer, cold in the winter. Those of us that eat here frequently know this and dress appropriately! The decor is not a designer, and things can be a little greasy, but what do you expect when you're cooking food at your table? If you can't handle quaint and want pristine yuppie food, then I suggest you head over to the mall and get a table at PF Chang's. Now back to my experiences and thoughts! To start off, we have been coming to the Secret Garden for about six years, always order the all you can eat and have never even looked at the menu. Our daughter who is now five years old loves this place, in fact is a frequent request to eat at 'the place where you could get the tables.' She loves wrapping the food up in lettuce and chowing it down. She especially loves their potato salad, which is the only potato salad, she will eat. She also loves the sweet pickled radishes! All of the sides (Banchan) that we've ever had were excellent, flavorful and delicious! My favorite is the bean paste, and if I knew more Korean I would try and pry the recipe out of them. I don't know what else I can say about the meat since, well, it is meat. You have your choice of steak chunks, thinly sliced marinated beef, spicy pork, chicken, short ribs, and more I suspect if you can speak Korean. For what we get, I think the all you can eat is very fairly priced. I know when we've taken friends here that we have polished off several piled high plates of meat and countless number of Banchan. What I can tell you is that when you come to eat here that you need to leave your pretentiousness at the door and just enjoy the food. Don't be in a rush, and just be patient. Things at the Secret Garden don't flow like they do at a regular restaurant, and things me feel a little willy-nilly, but it is okay. I would really love to see this place featured on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I can only imagine what Guy Fieri would do in here! Bring your friends, take some time, eat a whole lot of food, drink some Sake or Soju and just have a great experience!

    (5)

  • Matthew M.

    Fantastic Korean BBQ! This is what Korean BBQ is all about folks. You get to cook the food yourself so you decide how you want your steaks and etc. The place is frankly a small place but honestly, I prefer those types of places. I am glad we stopped here (I believe we stopped on the 4th of July). I want to go back very soon. When the lady running the place says "all you can eat," she definitely means it. The meats are marinated perfectly. If you are ever in a mood for Korean BBQ, head to the Secret Garden Restaurant.

    (4)

  • Anthony O.

    Good restaurant for quantity and price. quality is not the highest but is still probably better than chain restaurants. Basically, I'd recommend this place if I was with a bunch of hungry guys late at night. Late Hours, tons of meats, fair price.

    (3)

  • Diana N.

    I'm not sure if the meat is the freshest, and I suspect a bit of some frozen quality but it's fun if you're up for some all you can eat, grill your own meat kinda thing for only under $20 which comes with different cuts of beef, pork, and chicken. They provides the typical korean bbq staples of garlic, jalapenos, rice, lettuce, and dipping sauces. The variety of appetizers is pretty good, and the staff are courteous although not quick; to refill your favorites. They also help you with the grilling part, just to make sure you don't burn the place down. It's fun to go with a group of friends, and my only complaint is the annoying parking arrangement & coming out of the restaurant smelling like you've been roasting in a charcoal BBQ pit. Bring Febreze spray as a precaution, especially if you're on a date =)

    (4)

  • IJ R.

    Poor service for mediocre Korean BBQ. I used to like this restaurant, but this first visit back since a long while was a bad experience. It took the server 15 minutes just to get us water. Then early on in our meal they ran out of rice. It wasn't even a packed house! We had to wait 20 minutes for the rice. The bill was in Korean and we aren't Korean, so the only thing we could read was the total $71. So we paid and as we walk out the server holds out the change and asks us "Is that it?" We were of course confused as we paid the amount and left a standard tip. She then says the total of our bill was more than the amount written on the check. Regardless of if she made a mistake on calculating our bill or writing it down wrong we left enough to cover the total amount PLUS tip. It was her mistake that cost her the appropriate tip. She was then rude enough to ask for more of something she didn't deserve and was her fault. Those issues were on top of the fact that the food was not very good. But the rude experience is certainly worse than the food.

    (1)

  • Lucy C.

    horrible service - one person who acted as hostess/waitress/cashier for the entire restaurant. she spent more time cleaning up tables than serving the guests that actually were still there and needed service. food wasn't great. all the meat was bland this time around and wasn't as good as it used to be. my 3rd time eating here and will not be going back. yes, the service and atmosphere are nothing to brag about, but i'm giving this place 2 stars mainly because the food was disappointing.

    (2)

  • Megan L.

    We decided to come to Secret Garden for Valentine's Day. We didn't go our usual route - dining at a $100+ per couple restaurant where I'd eat super slow to avoid eating the entire three bites on our plate (I'm serious). I didn't think anyone would be here on V-Day but it was packed - with families! Moms and dads with their 3-4 kids chomping away. We waited for a few minutes and were seated by very nice Korean ladies who quickly brought out drinks and Korean appetizer plates for us. All the staff were extremely friendly. Eating Korean all-you-can-eat BBQ in L.A. at least once a month, I'd give this place 3/5 stars in comparison to its L.A. counterparts, but since the staff are so nice and cater to your every need, I have to give them 4 stars.

    (4)

  • Hans L.

    Wow this was a lot of fun - we've now been here three times in a month. Propane BBQ in the center of the table, toss the meat on with some garlic and enjoy with the sides - sometimes ten of them! Really tasty food!!! ramenrater.com

    (5)

  • Tony C.

    First of all I prefer charcoal cooking rather than their gas heated hubcap cooking plate. I lived in San Francisco and they have really good charcoal/wood charcoal cooking at your table, makes the whole difference in the world of taste. My friend and I did the all you can eat for $20 per person and had two O.B. beers. There were a variety of meats and chicken. The side dishes were not bad. I just felt that the non-charcoal cooking just did not do it for me. It's a great deal for eating as much as you can for the price, but I just had better in SF. Waitress was tentative and willing to help in cutting and cooking your food to get you going. I asked the waitress about charcoal grilling and if there is a restaurant in Washington that has it, she told us Old Korean Village has it. I didn't think there would be one in Wa. I thought they banned it for safety reasons. I guess I have to check out the Village next time.

    (3)

  • Alex T.

    Been here many times. It one of the few all you can eat Korean BBQ place around. Service is so so most of the time there is only one waitress I think it the owner. They give you a lot of sides but if you run out you really have to wait the waitress down. It a good place to take a large group they can fit a lot of people.

    (3)

  • Jennifer K.

    i visited secret garden for the all you can eat special..it was about $18 for the meats and really that was all. they didn't offer enough variety to my liking. sure, there was lettuce and kimchi, but other than that..it was purely meat. after eating all that meat, i felt like i was going to get colon cancer...we'll see what happens in twenty years!

    (2)

  • Jill B.

    This place is great!! It's a hole in the wall, the paint is chipped, it probably fails the health departments regulations, but the service is quirky and the barbq is fun. You get to sit at a table with friends, cook your own meat to your satisfaction (even choose it from a cart) and enjoy the fresh, healthy food that is set before you by a lady with a smile that hardly speaks any engilsh. I think it adds to the charm. The place has been around for years and is a good place for groups.

    (4)

  • Jessica R.

    Oh Korean BBQ BUFFET WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!? hard to imagine that when i moved to Seattle from So. Cal i would have a hard time finding a decent korean bbq buffet. well i did... finally found this place and sure am happy I did. Is it the best quality meat? no. best service? no. best decor and setting? no. pretty damn good for the price? yes Pleasant service? yes. for about $19 you can have pretty much as much of whatever meat you like. I think their best is the spicy pork but the kalbi ribs could use some extra marinade time, and I don't even waist my time with the chicken! I've only been a few times and there is always the same woman serving, shes nice and sweet but will gringo your ass on the lettuce/green onions if you dont ask. Once I was there gorging on meat alone and I overheard her showing a new couple how to eat the food in a lettuce wrap which was nice. the Banchan are decent, I like the Kim Chi and dicon,not sure if it's house made or not. I've grown accustomed to getting my own refills/lettuce/sauce since sometimes the waitress gets tied up in the kitchen or with other diners. i don't mind really. also CHEAP SOJU!

    (4)

  • Ryan C.

    place reeeks of BBQ. man i don't know why these restaurants never turn on their exhaust fans... when i came in, it was empty (maybe they just opened) thus it doesn't stink that bad. however there's a smell lingering tho (bbq smell)... as time passes, it got worse.. food wise.... GET THE BUFFET... dang, i got sore throat so decided to not partake in the buffet. got the dolsot bim bim bap. worse mistake.. EVER... it wasn't as nice as i thought it would be. too wet IMO. i like them rice crispy (sticking to the HOT POT) but it was too wet.. bleurgh... meat BBQ buffet.. heaven.. endless amount of meat; the lady was eager to add more and more meat and it was great! she used this cart that is in the middle of the restaurant, call it DIM SUM CART but filled with raw meat! way cool! u must be wondering why 3 stars? well, the taste isn't off the hook and she forgot to offer the pork bellies.. place reeks BBQ smell (thus coats, jackets, hair, jeans) all stink of what we burnt! and the taste was so-so mediocre... the price of the dolsot bim bim bap was $12 after tax, buffet was almost $20... get the buffet, dolson was a bit steep...

    (3)

  • Laura O.

    The waitress we had was a very nice lady who made sure we had enough food and drinks! She did have a strong accent but she make every effort to communicate with us. Anyway, this is a good place for a group to get together for good company. I thought it was very interesting that we get to cook our own meat on the cooker. We were given tongs and scissors. I admit I did get a little wary of the scissors (to cut the meat to smaller pieces) when a person at my table kept putting it back on the plate of uncooked meat. I asked for the scissors since I am paranoid about food poisoning and cross contamination. If I came back, I want total control of the tongs and scissors unless I know the people in my party are safe cookers.

    (3)

  • phil n.

    I would like to rebut the responses to my comment. First, this is my opinion and my experience. You weren't there so stick to first-hand knowledge. Second, I do not think rudeness or treating people different because they aren't of the owner's decent adds to the quaintness of any establishment. It might to you, but this is plain unacceptable in this country. As for the numerous qualities that you say add to the restaurant's quaintness, like the lack of an HVAC system, think about how ridiculous you sound. Heat and being treated with respect are restaurant fundamentals. And after respectfully asking for a menu several times, but never getting one seems to be a selective listening issue on the owner's part. Since this was most of our groups first time there wouldn't it make sense to ask for a menu, not everyone eats all meat buffets. Lastly, I guess the others that commented simply have different standards. It's best to check out their comments about other restaurants if you agree with them, then perhaps you have the same tastes and standards, and that's great. Try Ka Won Korean BBQ about 4 miles up on 99hwy. 15004 Highway 99, #A, Lynnwood, WA 98087. After you've tried both places, then you can really judge whose opinion falls inline with your own. For those that intimate that I'm pretentious or a yuppie, you don't know me. Keep your judgments to the restaurant not the commenter who is entitled to his or her own opinions. I could lace my comment with insults and trash talk, but that's not the purpose of this site and I'm above that.

    (1)

  • Kory L.

    Freezing Cold Restaurant!!!! Turn up the Heat. We were seated at a table right next to the thermostat which read 55 degrees. Once they turned the grill on at the table it was a bit better but not enough the Temp went up to 58. It made me uneasy that they cut cost by not turning on the heat - makes me wonder what other essential areas they are cutting costs (perhaps in cleanliness or food quality). We did like the All You Can Eat part, and most of the meat was good (we only got a couple pieces that tasted like wet dog). The grills in the table were great and they have large exhaust hoods above each table so the place is properly ventilated. They give you a tasty salted sesame oil to dip your meat in after grilling, it was good but I have had better sauce at other Korean BBQ's. The sides were good but not the best I have had. All around the only reason to go to this place is that it is All-You-Can-Eat for reasonably good food. If you are looking for any kind of ambiance or if its cold outside don't go here.

    (2)

  • Kerri L.

    I love Korean BBQ. My favorite meat - the marinated beef. If you're wise, you'll bring someone else to be Chef (grilling, cutting) so you can focus on the food. =) I like the whole ceremony of the lettuce wraps and this place provides some of the freshest sides to fill it that I've been - none of those canned bean sprouts! Oh - and don't wear anything you don't want to end up smelling like BBQ. It's like working @ McDonad's - you can't avoid coming home smelling like a french fry.

    (3)

  • Ronnie M.

    Not horrible, but I've had better Korean food in Lynnwood. I've eaten here twice. First time I opted for Korean bbq where you grill the meat yourself. All-you-can-eat for $25. Not bad if you are starving. Last Tuesday, I ate here and decided to order off the menu. My friend and I decided on the short ribs and fried seafood pancake. The short ribs were just OK. Kind of dry and greasy. Service was good, though very slow towards the end of the meal when we wanted another round of beer. Don't think I'll return...not when there are a million other Korean restaurants to choose from in the area.

    (2)

  • Dong Joo K.

    Not a single bland dish, down to its side dishes at this restaurant! Authentic korean cuisine, to pure perfection! Not to mention is an all you can eat buffet! The interior was newly modified, giving the restaurant a more complete feel. I simply cannot recommend this restaurant enough, if you havent gone here to eat, you MUST. Your missing out a meal of your life

    (5)

  • Magdalena B.

    Well, I come here today because Grill King Bbq was closed and Korean Palace bbq was too far. So, I decided to came here for the first time. The food was SUPER GOOD. SO TASTY especially the spicy pork and short ribs. BUT. The waitress is SUPER RUDE!

    (3)

  • Anna G.

    Worth it for $20. Had the all you can eat meat and bonchon. I loved the spare ribs and bulgogi. So good! Service although she was nice was slow. Not horrible though. I'd come back. Fun for a small group of people.

    (4)

  • Brian V.

    We come up to the Seattle area to visit family every summer. It is also my opportunity to get my fill of ethnic food (I live in a smaller city). So wanting some Korean I chose to stop here (partially because it said buffet). Pulling up to the building one can see it is in desperate need of some TLC. Walking in one can say the same. The restaurant reminded me of something that would be typical of a small town restaurant in Asia. I looked around for the buffet and didn't see any. I was a little worried when I saw no other customers as it was around noon. No one came in while I ate and I was there for over a half an hour. The hostess/server/bus was friendly but did not speak or understand that much English, just enough to communicate. I found out that there is not a buffet line but they bring all the food to the table. Not a problem for me. Just be aware of that when entering the restaurant. As I was waiting for food I heard the ding of a microwave. I thought it was a little strange but forgot about it almost immediately. The server brought out several dishes of various kimchi. So I started to eat. I will be honest. I've had excellent Korean and this was sub par. The kimchis tasted old and not fresh. I was very disappointed to discover the fried tofu was hot on top and cold on the bottom (that's when I remembered the microwave!) So it was obviously not freshly fried. My server asked me what meat I wanted and then suggested a little of everything. I was game for that! When she brought it out I was shocked at the large amount of meat, but I also noticed brown edges around the beef. It did not look fresh at all. After cooking most of it for me and showing me how to prepare the lettuce wrap she left me alone. Though I knew how to do this I did appreciate the tutorial. Unfortunately the meat was not very good as expected after having inspected it. It tasted a little old and want marinated very well. Overall I left much of my food untouched, and left very disappointed that I had spent $20 for it. I was extremely disappointed with the overall experience (except for the server's warm personality). This place may have seen better days but it is definitely not worth going to when there are other better Korean restaurants in close vicinity.

    (1)

  • Howard C.

    Had AYCE (18.99) here because every place else nearby was booked. The marinades were balanced and not too sweet like many places often do. The meat was of decent quality, but nothing particularly good or bad... They bring their meat refills out on a rolling cart and scoop it out of big containers, which is a bit weird.... I'm surprised it isn't a health code concern considering holding temperatures. We started off with a dead house fly in our already unappetizing banchan and it went downhill from there. The service was absolutely terrible - we had the mean mugging lady with glasses. She never acknowledged anything we said or asked for, not even a nod. We had to grab things ourselves, ask for refills three or four times, ask for pork belly and green onion salad because they didn't offer it, etc... When I asked for kalbi refills for our party of eight she gave me two pieces and then would pause and give me a dirty look and sigh when I asked for more; this happened twice. Then the older lady comes and says I can only have refills with all the meats and not just kalbi, WTF. I didn't come to eat bulgogi and chicken thigh swimming in a pool of blood. That wasn't listed or stated anywhere and was a major disappointment. Then she turned off our grill when we weren't even completely finished eating yet. Skip this place and go elsewhere... Anywhere. Dark, dirty, and the worst service I've had in a while.

    (1)

  • Amos Y.

    So this place really is a bit of a secret. There are parking spaces around the place, not a large number, but enough that finding parking isn't a hassle. There weren't many people and it looks some what run down and sketchy. Some of the tables are just a table with a gas burner embedded into it! But they got the stuff that matters right. We came here Sunday night with a party of 24. It is probably the only Korean BBQ place that could fit 24 people with an hour notice. When we arrived, there was only one older Korean woman there serving one other group of 3 people. She was the only server. She had already prepped the 24 spots. And when we told her we were the large group she started bringing out all the ban chan and water glasses. She was super quick about bringing out all the stuff, and there were a good 10 different side dishes. Then she got us started with the meat. It was slightly sketchy that she just came out with a cart with various bins full of the meat. And then she just plopped the meat on plates for us depending on which meats we wanted. Clearly they weren't the most fresh or highest quality meat, but they were cool and refrigerated, and when cooked tasty and filling. There are 5 meat choices: - chicken (surprisingly tender and juicy) - pork belly (very fatty, a bit too much for me) - spicy pork (not that spicy, good) - beef bulgogi (probably the best meat, thinly sliced, tender) - kalbi beef (decent kalbi, felt it was a little fatty, but it is kalbi) The sole lady was superb in her service, getting us lettuce, rice, garlic, onions, dipping sauce, water refills, side dish refills, changing the grill tops, etc. She was quite generous with the meat portions and more than happy to give us more. On top of that she let us each individually pay for the $20 all you can eat. Absolutely phenomenal service. Also the ginger candy you can grab on your way out probably isn't worth your time. Has very little flavor and is just super chewy and sticky gelatinous blob.

    (4)

  • Priscilla Y.

    My boyfriend and I came here for the AYCE meats ($21 per person). This was our first AYCE KBBQ experience so we were pretty excited! FAIR WARNING, we are KBBQ noobs, we aren't meat experts. The meat tasted yummy to us, well marinated! We were even offered squid, but turned it down. The sides were all pretty good and we got a little bit of everything! The only thing that I could possibly complain about (which wasn't even a big deal) was that our waitress put our first round of meat on the grill for us, which was fine, but she loaded the grill with too much meat so it took a while to cook everything. Other than that, the service was good! It seems like if you are too needy, the waitress might get a bit annoyed. And it's true that she isn't around very much, but it wasn't to the point that we were irritated, we had everything we needed. If she walks by, don't be afraid to get her attention, she won't bite! Lol. My advice: if you need multiple things like refills on water or sides, flag her down and ask for it all at once, she will be nice and helpful! It was a great experience and I would definitely come back!

    (4)

  • Gabriel C.

    Back again for more on a weekday night. It wasn't the same person that was here when I came back in Aug, but a different gal. Regardless, this place held up to the standard it set the last time I came and the meat was just as good. There was no pressure to leave (one gentleman there when we arrived and only one other group that arrived just as we were about done).

    (4)

  • Audrey N.

    Went on a random North end drive for our friend's bday to grant his wish of KBBQ. The place looked very deserted bc, I guess the hangout spot was the karaoke bar within the restaurant. We didn't look at any prices when we got there. Went straight to order and the meats were pretty good! The grill was oiled down beforehand and the meat was super frozen. Took a while to cook. The house sauce that they normally hand out was different from all the kbbq places we've been to, but it was a better sauce! New to our tastebuds. Not much to say about the place, although I feel as if it's more traditional and I love the amounts they give us from the meat and the sides. The sides were really good. They weren't really serving us because we were the only customers there besides a different table, so we seemed needy, but kudos to the server, bc she played off her annoyance very well. haha. I liked how quiet and dimmed it was. Although it was quiet, I liked the atmosphere. In the end, we realized we didn't really look at any prices and once we had paid, it was around $20 per person. We wish we would've drove south for something cheaper, but it was pretty worth it I would say. They're also open until midnight. That's pretty great for kbbq, bc most places do last call by 9:30 PM and close at 10PM.

    (4)

  • Chef K.

    First off let me start by saying that the food was awesome but, service was awful. Im not sure if the waitress was having a bad day but she was on one. Not only were the prices ti freakin high but she had the nerve to ask for a tip. Im sorry, Im a chef so I understand about tipping for good service but, after being charged $107.00 for crappy service then I was asked for a tip. My friends, family and I are never ever going back this place... EVER! !

    (1)

  • Tavis C.

    Passable on every level, pun intended. The first thing that you will notice about the restaurant is that it is freezing cold (I think they expect the bbq grills to warm you) and the decor is a few decades old. The host/waitress/busser/cashier/chef (yes, all one person) was very nice to us and served with a smile. I honestly believe that she gave the best service a single person can do, but when you're literally the only person on staff, trying to run an entire 10-table restaurant is just too difficult. The banchan side dishes are plentiful and pretty good. When your bbq meat arrives, it's on a monstrous platter, stacked with tons of meat, as to reduce the need for you to ask for refills. The meat is what you would expect for a lower-end AYCE bbq, not great but not bad. The meat was unfortunately marinated in a waaay too sugary of a sauce, which turns quickly into charcoal on the grill. Overall, our experience wasn't bad, but with so many other options in the area, I find very little reason to come back.

    (3)

  • Theresa D.

    Oh man. This place is a little sketchy. It feels a little shady, and I really considered bolting the second I sat down. A hint should have been that we were the only people here. The sides were pretty cheap, and didn't seem very fresh. We did the all you can eat, and while the quality wasn't terrible on the meat, it definitely wasn't the best ever either. I would definitely check out other Korean barbecue places before coming here.

    (2)

  • Eric L.

    This is one of those "I wish I could give you a higher rating just because" reviews. On a recent work trip to Seattle, I had to take a client out to lunch. He loves Chinese food so I thought I'd introduce him to KBBQ. Unfortunately, all the better AYCE's are in Federal Way. I yelped this place and it had mixed reviews. What the heck, let's do it! When I pulled up, I thought, "oh sh!t, it looks old and dirty." Then we walked in and it was old and dirty! Lol it was you late to turnaround at that point so we went ahead and got seated. Ajumma was nice. We told her we wanted all the meats so 5 minutes later, she comes out with this HUGE plate of marinated meats (Galbi, pork belly, bulgogi, spicy pork) which had to be at least 3lbs worth. We grilled and ate, then ate, and ate some more. The meat quality wasn't the best, but it was passable. Then round 2 we decided on just Galbi and pork belly. Out comes another plate about 2lbs deep. We're in trouble. Surprisingly, we cleaned house. The ajumma was nice, the service was ok, food was alright, I guess. Not what I usually expect from KBBQ, but for a non-Korean, I'm thinking it would be good. I just have much higher expectations from Korean establishments being that I am Korean and have been around this my entire life. Would I go back? As a first choice, definitely not. But, if I was in the area and didn't feel like driving to FedWay for AYCE, then maybe.

    (3)

  • Bobby N.

    I cannot believe that I've never been here before after 28 years. I've missed out this long on the mom and pop experience in all its glory. Gone are the days where you don't have to review a million food items before you order and then make a decision to choose what you want to eat. Everything is pretty simple and straight forward as long as you are familiar with their style of service. So this means, you don't get a menu to look at since they are an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ place. You choose from four diff meat options and grill it. Then you ask for specific smaller sides when you run low. Usually, the mom will come by and help you grill your food, and change out the grill plate. She smiles and gestures like your Asian mom who shows love to you through her service gestures but verbally doesn't say much. A feeling that will you make heart go, "AWWWW!!" One a different note, I would've given the restaurant 5 stars if the mom had more help. I saw her running around trying to get tables served during a time when 3 tables were occupied. But being one person, she managed to refill our waters, small plates, and monitor the grills. Incredible since at other restaurants, I have trouble getting them to fill my water. The price was as expected about $20/person. But considering the taste, the unlimited amount, tasty plates and service, it's priced reasonably well. Overall, this is a perfect place to hang with your friends and family. It's a restaurant that makes you feel like you're really home; a feeling that I so dearly miss since I no longer live in WA.

    (4)

  • TJ Z.

    Seriously one of the server ladies is completely rude. She needs to work on her personable customer service.

    (3)

  • Zachary K.

    Staff was nice. Food was okay until they had to remove a rat from the dining room. We won't be returning.

    (1)

  • k j.

    I have been coming to this place over 15 years. yes, it is not much of a place.. Old deco. furniture etc. It does not even appear clean due to the age and BBQ smoke probably make interior bit dirty. However, I liked the food there. Bunchan(?) is good and had a very friendly middle aged(?) owner / server. She was always smiling and extremely nice and helpful to the point ... I felt it's ok we can handle it. Last few times, taste changed so did the lady(owner) of the restaurant. One we have seen lately is one with glasses and bit younger than the one we used to see. She does not engage with customers much.. I was thinking maybe she does not speak English unsure. But she was not unfriendly or rude. No particular service was provided, so in my mind, no standard tips are necessary. I pay only very minimal tips at this place. Flavor of meat marinade seems have changed. It used to have more flavor. Maybe just me... I will come back since this is still decent place for Korean BBQ, but I wonder if the previous owner (?) either sold the restaurant or retired..??

    (3)

  • Hangie N.

    It is really worth eating bbq here. With $20 and you have several different kind of meats. I went here a couple of times. It wasn't really busy because i came on weekdays. The lady was really nice but she didn't really give the best service. But i guess their good bbq will make it up. I definitely will come back. I will give 5 stars if the service gets better!!

    (4)

  • Priscilla L.

    This place has been around for sooo long! My last time there, it was "interesting". We (the BF and I) were the only ones in the restaurant and the lady sat us, brought us a load of meat and all the sides. And then... she disappears to the back!!! I serves myself more ice water/napkins/new chopsticks. We finished eating and then waiting for a good 30 minutes while we troll on FB and restarted our eating again! The entire time we saw her 4 times (including when she sat us to when we paid out bill). So that's the service you should expect. The meat was actually well marinated and the ban chan was really delish as well. Pretty affordable w their many meat options. I would go back if I am up north. 3 starts due to service.

    (3)

  • Tien H.

    Not so great. Bad customer service. Only 1 waitress as known as the owner their. Expensive and not so great foods. Tips are included as they determine. We don't usually go their unless nowhere else opens.

    (2)

  • Mark B.

    This is my go to "all you can eat" korean bbq spot. It's near home, and they're usually never busy. In fact, the owners always remember me, and I only ever go once every six months, if that. They're very kind and welcoming here. This lady that always helps me, always helps cook and get my party started when we eat here. The decor is a little old and raggedy. The quality of the food is excellent. The bbq meat is marinated very well, and plenty of appetizer plates that come along with the korean bbq food is plenty. They also do orders by plate, but I haven't tried it. I'm assuming its just as flavorful as the the all you can eat. If you like cooking your food as you go, and want all you can eat korean bbq in the Edmonds area, give this place a try!

    (4)

  • S. T.

    Went for Korean bbq Buffet. $18 per person Decent side dishes, about 12 of them. Decent meat selection. Just pick the Steak and Chicken, it's better meat quality than the others. Oh, you can pick the non marinated sliced beef or pork, you have to ask though, for those who are non-Korean.

    (3)

  • Markos M.

    This was the worst dining experience I've ever had in a restaurant. I wish i could give it zero stars. The waiter was a total bitch (the worst I've ever seen), the ordering process wasn't intuitive at all (there was no menu or anything, it was all verbal--A little hard when the waiter barely speaks English) and worst part is, they don't tell you any prices until the end. And our group of 5 ended up paying over $80 for the shared food when we were expecting to pay $30 or so. Finally, the meat tasted like water, the rice was terrible, and the parking sucks. I strongly advise against anyone going there. HUGE RIPOFF

    (1)

  • Jim P.

    My kids were taking me out for my birthday and I was so excited to try Korean BBQ for the first time. We arrived at 7pm on a Wednesday and walked in to find only one table occupied (I'm thinking to myself this is not a good sign) and it looked like the place has seen (and smelled) better days. But I move forward and trudged along since I'm the BBQ virgin and my kids know the system and I'm not going to show any fear being the manly man I am. The nice waitress comes and brings us the condiments/sides and quite honestly I was struggling to recognize most of them and my sons girlfriend explains what most of them are. The first flag that came up was when I saw the bean sprouts..... well, they were somewhat grey and the coleslaw was full of juice and I knew that these sides had been sitting around or out and were not the freshest. This planted a scary seed in my brain. The girl then put the meats on the cooker and all I'm thinking about is the co-mingling of the beef and chicken and then we are going to wrap this up in a lettuce leaf and hope for the best.. this is a recipe for disaster. The last flag I got was after she had put our last serving of meat on the cooker, the rest of the beef was just sitting out the whole time ours was cooking. This just makes me think about how many times this meat was left out before we got here. Let me tell you now that it looks like we all escaped with a full belly and no signs of discomfort but I admit I was a little nervous.

    (2)

  • Tina H.

    This place really is a secret garden. My husband and I waited 30 minutes at the Grill King and found this place by accident. It was empty when we came in which scared me a bit (it was around 8pm so maybe it was the late hours). But as soon as the grill was fired up and the meat was sizzling, we were at home. The banchan was tasty and the lady kept refilling our kimchi which was the best I had at a restaurant. She even showed my husband how to wrap his meat in lettuce! My only complaint is that the ambiance is kinda dive-y. The meat was tasty but by the look at the dining area, you would think the meat came from some hungry unsuspecting customers. LOL. Ok, maybe I watched too many horror movies. Another thing I didn't like is that there was no menu and no mention of price. It was relatively cheap (a little pricier then Grill King on Aurora) but the meat was far less fatty (I think...). Anyway, we will definitely go again. So yummy!

    (4)

  • Elizabeth T.

    Decent place for Korean BBQ. Really cheap as well. My friends and I paid about $18 each to eat all the Korean BBQ we could handle. There is always one woman working there and serving everyone. That's the one downside to this place. You might have to wait awhile before you can get another refill of meat, but she is usually very happy to refill you with more meat. She usually tries to get you to try to get one of each kind each time. I normally go for the bulgogi, the kalbi, and the spicy pork. The chicken's nothing too special. The side dishes are good as well. In true form, they always refill it when you ask for it (and if there's anything left). I heard a lot of people give this bad reviews. The meat's usually tasty - very tender and well marinaded. The only thing I have against this place is the service. Other than that, this place is one of the better Korean BBQ places I have tried here in Washington.

    (4)

  • Jesse W.

    These guys try really hard. We've been eating here for lunch every other week or so for the last few months. The sides are excellent, the service is attentive, aside from their flat soda machine which just gives you an excuse to get drunk on jinro soju, this place is top notch. One of the best values as well, and a great group place to go. For about $25-27 per person including tax and tip for lunch or dinner and a soda/coffee, they will just keep bringing out as much as meat, kimchi, sides etc you and your group can eat. If you finish off the first plate and want more there's no extra charge, and they are happy to serve. Even better, this place is open till 10.30 (seats until 10.15) on weekdays and 2am on Fri/Sat. Excellent place for a hearty dinner.

    (4)

  • Hanna B.

    This is my favorite Korean BBQ in the area. Not only is it the typical all-you-can-eat meat overload that we all expect from a superb Korean BBQ but there are 8-10 side dishes with a perfect balance of vegetables and proteins. The atmosphere and service is the only reason I docked a star off of the review but I don't think it is atypical of your typical casual Asian restaurant. In fact, I think the dim lighting, dated decor, and laissez-faire customer service make it feel more like home.

    (4)

  • Nina H.

    This place is bomb! I don't know what other people were talking about when they mentioned the restaurant was dirty... I mean it wasn't the cleanest of all places but it certainly wasn't as dirty as I thought it would be. *shrug* Anyway, this place actually gets quite busy! I went with a group of friends on a Sunday night and everyone was so full from all that meat. The lady literally just grabs a huge pile of meat with the tongs and puts it on a large plate for us to cook. The lady helped us cook a few times too when she had some free moments. There's lots of different meats, bulgogi, spicy bulgogi (I think), chicken, kal-bi... and other stuff that I cannot identify. The banchan dishes were awesome too! Lots of bean sprouts, spicy kimchee, daikon, etc. I love. It's pretty crazy... and it's quite affordable for a buffet too! I think it was about $20 per person not including tip but STILL. What a steal! I don't have to drive all the way down to Federal Way to eat Korean BBQ anymore... I can just drive up fifteen minutes to Lynnwood. The place may be hard to find at first but it's just kind of past the Acura dealership.

    (4)

  • Laurentiamaya T.

    I went here today in a small group for our first time, at first we were kind of skeptical and didn't expect too much since we read many negative reviews about this place. The service was okay, one lady was doing everything and she was friendly. We didn't have to wait long, it was normal wait like most other restaurants. The interior of the restaurant was kind of older but decent and clean. I specifically checked on the cleanliness because of the negative reviews but It wasn't greasy and cleanliness was decent. (Maybe need a better lighting). We ordered All You Can Eat BBQ, we were surprised on how much meat we got, it was a lot ! Spicy pork, kalbi and chicken were my favorite. It was good and everybody likes the food. No complaints. The price was good for that amount of food. Generous selection of Banchan, the taste of the Banchan were average. Overall it was a good experience, the food was good and average, but it was good enough for me to come back again next time :)

    (4)

  • Kathleen L.

    I love that Korean BBQ. I never really had much of it before - due to the somewhat expensive nature of that Korean BBQ meaty goodness - but that had changed the moment I had found out that there was such a place serving "all-you-can-eat." Its not your grandiose restaurant or your snooty-waiter-in-a-white-shirt establishment; its your regular mom and pops kinda place. They greet you with hello's, the serve you promptly and get you going with cooking your own food. Personally, its like walking into your moms house and she's standing there ushering you to your spot at the dinner table. If you start going there enough (like my friends/family and I), they start to remember who you are, they double up on the sides that you always request and leave you be to fill up on the things that you may need (meat or drinks). Its a laid back atmosphere and I wouldn't change it for a thing. Ambiance: 8. Place does need some sprucing up but its not dirty, its not grimey and there aren't insects crawling around on the floor, kitchen or bathroom. There is a bar on the other side that tends to be a good laugh or to when there are people in there singing their hearts out on karaoke. Service: 8. I will admit that there usually is only 1 server present, but when she is there, she tends to be on point.. i am probably biased because I go there a lot and she has already remembered who we are. But thankfully, the tables are set, the meat is ready to go and the drinks are in close reach.. When it does get slammed in there, there tends to be two people but when its slow - expect to only see one. Food: 10. All the sides I can eat, all the drinks I can drink (soju too!) and all the meat I can eat. What can be better than that? You essentially get what you pay for and thats a lot! Price: 10. Good Price, Good Value. Final thought: I scored it 5 out of 5. Why? Based on how much bang for my buck I am getting. If I wanted fancy schmancy, I could go down the street. But if i want good times with good company (hello my fellow COOL KIDS!!) and something within budget - THIS is the place. Its a Mom and Pops.. what did you expect? =)

    (5)

  • Jen K.

    Can't go wrong with all you can eat Korean bbq. The meat here is suuuper good, although I wish they added some marinade to the meat. But you get all the good Korean fixings on the side. Came here with 4 other people, and it's easy to eat a lot. I always find it hard to eat a lot when it's just me and one other person. The waitress was really nice, she helped cook some of the stuff, made sure it wasn't raw, and she was super attentive and we always had water in our glass.

    (3)

  • Arry Y.

    4 stars for the value and food. They did have the reservation and table ready for our fairly large group. Rated down to 3 stars for the really annoying lack of service. Seemed to have memory problems or something today. Maybe it was an off night for them. Tons of food for all you can eat. Lots of side dishes. We got it all. Don't be shy... get it all. And the chicken was surprisingly good, well, cuz they used dark chicken meat. Duh. It was pretty annoying that we had to ask them like 5 times for the beer, 5 times for rice, hunt them down to get the check, etc... Very annoying. They eventually turned on the exhaust for us - but man, that exhaust is loud. I'd go back, but dudes, the service was annoying. Maybe I'm just a cranky-poo right now. I also majorly smell of bbq right now. My dog keeps sniffing me to see if a piece of meat will fall from my cloths.

    (3)

  • Lisa T.

    THE PLACE TO GO FOR KOREAN BBQ!!! And the real style where you cook it yourself and get little sprays of grease popping at you. It's awesome. The place is a little grimy and greasy...don't go for ambiance. And don't wear something you don't want stained...trust me. But if you want a fantastic deal on all you can eat Korean BBQ...plus a mondo selection of tasty banchan (side dishes) then this is your place. If you don't speak Korean...that's ok, but service can be a bit slower. And just keep asking for more meat...beef, chicken, pork...you name it. I've been here at least 5 times...and every time I leave absolutely stuffed but totally get my Korean craving satisfied. I haven't tried anything but the BBQ...so not even sure what other things they have, but I'm sure you can get your standard jiggae's and bibimbaps!

    (4)

  • Vincent P.

    At first the place did look shady but I guess it's keeping up with its title. The food was surprisingly amazing especially the mashed potatoes, beef and chicken. I also enjoyed the quiet environment because my party was full of active and loud talkers. The only thing that didn't appeal to me was the service. Despite my party being the only group in the resteraunt, the waitress seemed to have the typical "I hate my job" attitude even when we displayed appreciation for her service. I understand that other cultures have different types of service and the American "the customer's always right" is not applicable in every country but still I personally believe that there's no harm in having a positive attitude especially in a place that serves a popular dish. Regardless, we still tipped the waitress for her contributions to a wonderful evening. If you want $20 all you can eat bbq this is a pretty decent place for a meal but don't expect a mary poppins to serve you food.

    (3)

  • Sonia Y.

    So let's get to it. I used to love this place, wanted to come here at least once a week. It introduced me to korean bbq! I mean I loved the fact that it is all you can eat and you have the opportunity to cook it yourself and share good times with friends! But now, the service is so horrible that I can't even justify coming here once a month. No, i'm not talking about the nice lady who owns the place who USED to serve me and welcome me with open arms since I used to go there so much. But the CURRENT service, where she has hired two attitudey- semi snobby and rude waitresses-- if you can call them that because they hardly even live up to their name. There were many times... In my head I'm counting at least 3 or 4 times where we have gone in maybe an hour before closing and were given mean stares because the workers wanted to go home early and close early. Sorry, but this isn't how you should run a business. If you want to close earlier, why don't you post Business Hours in front of your store? Apparently she was so upset that we went in late that she literally took all the raw meat that she brought out for us and dumped it on the burner top. Seriously? Do you know how much meat there was for it to be all cooked at one time? And when I told her that I could do it myself, she pretended not to hear me and continued piling things on. Uhh hello? Finally after she successfully threw every raw piece of meat onto the burner, she looked at me and said "we are closing soon" and turned around and left. If you are so upset that we went in 45 minutes before your closing then you should have told us you were closed and turned us away! Don't waste my time and money please-- I was so mad with the server that I didn't even ENJOY my food... do you know how hard it is to NOT ENJOY korean bbq? Seriously. And this is to me coming for 5 years, being on great terms with the owner-- &who always comes over and talks to me when she sees me. It was unneccesary and rude. I used to go in, and the service wouldn't be 100% but I would justify it with them being busy and that they didn't have very many employees available. But this time, there was only one other table and two ladies working. I will not be coming back-- ever. For almost $20 bucks a person, I would expect service & quality to be top notch, but neither even suffice. There are much cheaper & better quality all you can eat korean bbq's and I don't care if I have to drive to Bellevue to get it. Palace is hands down 100% better than this place in every aspect. And it's cheap as well!

    (2)

  • Chris L.

    Food was pretty good overall. The service was just ok, that's why I'm giving 4/5

    (4)

  • Brian R.

    In compared to other AYCE KBBQ restaurants, the food here is quite good, but first some history. I first came here several years ago, and thought that the restaurant was a little unclean, and the food only mediocre. Until recently, we hadn't been back. My wife and I had a desire for KBBQ a few months ago on a Monday night and our usual place happened to only be closed on Mondays. So, craving mass amounts of Korean meat versus any alternative, we tried the Secret Garden again. Wow, the place had really cleaned up. While still a bit dark inside, and the carpet a bit worn, all the seating areas and cooking surfaces looked to have been refreshed not too long ago. The food was an improvement as well, especially the bon chon. Our meat selection from the price fixe menu consisted of three beef items, a pork item, and chicken. All were very good, and I'm a fan of their bulgolgi. Since then, we've returned specifically to this restaurant over our old staple because I felt it was a better value. The wait staff I wanted to discuss in a separate section. Both times, it was a single woman operating the dining rooms, this includes the grills. While each time it was a different woman, they were both very friendly and really work hard to earn your business. Even when the dining room filled up with hungry patrons, they seemed to be everywhere at once tending to grills, refilling bon chon and meat places and stopping just long enough to smile. The most recent time, the woman serving us didn't speak much English, but that didn't stop here from demonstrating the proper way to eat Korean BBQ. Using chopsticks, she took a piece of meat, placed it on a lettuce leaf with some rice, assorted bon chon, and bean paste, rolled it up nice and neat and fed it to a buddy of mine who had joined us for dinner. This was to much amusement to the rest of us, and he enjoyed the special treatment as well. I will be returning to this restaurant in the future.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 11

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : No
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : 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

Secret Garden Restaurant

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