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The Korean BBQ options in L.A. are endless—so we rounded up the very best for the next time you’re craving bulgogi, galbi and all things red meat.
While plenty of Angelenos are still discovering Koreatown’s hidden gems , there’s no denying that Korean barbecue is a known dinnertime entity all over the city. In our humble opinion, the best place to take a group of hungry out-of-towners—at least, if they eat red meat—is a Korean barbecue joint. The sizzling tabletop grills add a little extra drama to dinner, the various small bowls of banchan (side dishes) always delight a newcomer and by the end of the meal everyone involved is happily full. For all your meat-centric dining needs, we’ve rounded up the city’s best Korean barbecue restaurants for any and all occasions, including both casual and upscale.
Of The Best Korean Bbq Restaurants In Los Angeles
Though most of our favorite places are in Koreatown, one of the densest dining neighborhoods in the city with everything from South Asian and Korean cuisine to old-school steakhouses , we’ve also included a few key spots outside of the area that offer best-in-class grilling experiences with attentive customer service (not always a given in Koreatown) and other noteworthy bells and whistles. While many are better suited to groups of four or more, we’ve also included a few places that accommodate pairs or even solo diners, so whenever a craving for freshly grilled meat strikes, our guide will have you covered.
While Angelenos remain divided on their favorite everyday Korean barbecue joint, Park’s seems to be the one unifying constant for special occasions. This premier destination for platters of marinated short rib, heavily marbled rib eye and even American Wagyu cuts takes its meat selection seriously, with the prices to match. There’s also the excellent assortment of prepared dishes, including the kimchi pancake, tofu stew and cold buckwheat noodles. If you’re the type to judge a Korean restaurant off the quality of its banchan, Park’s will more than deliver with a delicate apple and potato salad, cucumber kimchi and more. For best results, order some of everything—you won’t regret rolling out of here. If we had to single out one go-to dish, though, it’s the Korean-style beef tartare: a mellow, sweeter version of the raw dish typically found on French menus.
With its everyday ambience, decent menu prices and top-notch meat selection, Soowon Galbi is our second favorite Korean barbecue restaurant after Park’s BBQ, especially when we’re in a group of four or more. The wait times here generally run shorter than other popular spots like Kang Hodong Baekjeong and Quarters, though we’re confused as to why; Soowon’s banchan assortment and prepared dishes, including the perilla leaf stew and scallion pancake, showcase a depth and breadth of Korean cuisine that’s remarkable for a restaurant whose most popular items come cooked on a tabletop grill. The combination courses, in particular, offer excellent value for a crowd, especially the Combo B, which includes the must-have kkotsal, or marbled boneless short rib, and chadol, thinly sliced pieces of brisket that quickly crisp on the grill.
Best Korean Bbq Joints In La
View this post on Instagram A post shared by @yumsisters Also known as Mapo Galbi, Mapo Chicken’s namesake dish has made this no-frills restaurant run by ajummas (a.k.a. aunties) a back-pocket favorite among Angelenos for years, and one of the best chicken dishes you’ll find in both Koreatown and L.A. as a whole. Meant to be eaten in groups of two or four, this fiery red family-style dish chock full of meat, rice cakes, perilla leaves and other vegetables can be spiced to your liking and modded out with cheese, udon noodles and extra vegetables. Make sure to save room for the fried rice, which your server will make at the end with the last of the skillet’s leftovers.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong (@baekjeongkbbq) On weekends and most evenings, this Korean barbecue giant in Chapman Plaza draws crowds of diners willing to wait for top-notch beef and pork combos and tabletop grills outfitted with cooking side pockets for cheese corn, kimchi and steamed egg. Though the wait time is formidable (we’ve been quoted two hours in the past at peak dinner hour), the patient among us will find themselves rewarded with excellent service, an amazing meal and a raucous atmosphere that practically begs for a round of soju. For those further from Central L.A., the mini-chain also has locations in Torrance, Buena Park and Temple City.
With a palatial, patently luxurious feel to the dining room and a roomy outdoor patio, Chosun Galbee is our other favorite Korean barbecue restaurant for special occasions. For over two decades, this classic Koreatown restaurant has offered smokeless grills, attentive service (something you can’t find at every KBBQ spot) alongside a high-quality meat selection. We also love the jungol, a type of Korean udon hot pot we’ve yet to find done better anywhere else in the city. Available with seafood, beef intestine or a combination of meat and seafood, the bubbling family-style dish features a spicy, umami-rich broth and plenty of vegetables.
The 17 Finest Korean Barbecue Restaurants In Los Angeles
View this post on Instagram A post shared by GENWA (@genwaofficial) For Korean barbecue outside of Koreatown, our favorite place is still this upscale mini-chain with outposts in Beverly Hills, Mid-Wilshire and Downtown L.A. The dizzying array of high-quality banchan makes every diner feel like royalty, and the premium meat and seafood choices never disappoint for the nights when money is no object. As with other Korean barbecue restaurants, it’s best to order one of the set courses, all of which come with one or more cooked items like japchae (stir-fried potato-based glass noodles), soondubu or bibimbap.
When the mood for Korean barbecue strikes, Angelenos are awash in choices—and this mid-range South Korean chain cuts through the noise with reasonably priced meat combos, a rim around the grill for cooking steamed egg and a few show-stopping dishes perfect for entertaining friends and out-of-towners. Take the volcano fried rice, in which poured steamed egg provides the “lava, ” and the enormous corn- and cheese-studded pajeon (Korean pancake), both of which add extra flair to your meal. Though the small combos provide a filling meal for two, Maga provides the best value when dining with four or more, so get a group together and head on over.
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Quarters is the sleeker, more party-oriented alternative to Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong, its counterpart just across the way in Koreatown’s Chapman Plaza. Though wait times are just as long, the ability to order different cuts by the quarter pound (hence the name) sets this place apart from the rest, since it’s one of the few places two diners can enjoy a wider selection of meat without needing to go to an AYCE joint. The signature oversized “ritas”—all of which feature an upside-down beer—and drinking fare like Korean nachos and galbi tacos also make it easy to hang out for awhile on the front patio while waiting for your table, but it’s the high-quality meats and affordable set combos keep us coming back.
Eight Korean Bbq, Los Angeles
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yangmani in Rowland Heights (@yangmani_rh) This underrated Korean barbecue restaurant with two locations (Koreatown and Rowland Heights) offers the usual tantalizing beef and pork selection alongside fattier organ meats like intestines and beef tripe, which crisp up wonderfully on a tabletop grill. Distinctive banchan like Asian pear and red onion salad and steamed perilla leaves add a unique component to every meal here, as does a supplemental steamed egg soufflé topped with bright orange fish eggs. If you’re not the type to go for offal, the Combo 4 includes pork belly, pork jowl, brisket and your choice of boneless short rib or rib eye—and feeds two to three people, depending on how hungry you are.
There’s no getting around it: Soot Bull Jeep is one of the last places in Koreatown to still use charcoal grills, which means the smoke and fumes from your grilled meat will permeate all your clothes, sticking around for what feels like ages. But KBBQ veterans know the lingering scent is well worth the hassle for the best old-school experience in town. The no-frills setting and minimal banchan fade away when you take one bite of the charcoal-grilled meat, which imparts a nice, smoky char to marinated galbi or a juicy piece of rib eye.
This ground floor restaurant at the Beverly Center offers an elevated take on Korean barbecue, complete with dry-aged steaks, top shelf cocktails and elements of a traditional American steakhouse. Think steamed egg soufflé topped with cheese and a tasty yukhoe (beef tartare) prepared tableside, though the house banchan, small selection of traditional soups and á la carte meat selections don’t disappoint, even if you’re intimately familiar with L.A.’s Korean barbecue scene. For a boozy spectacle, order the Hennessey-based Side Car Pop, which comes topped with a translucent bubble of St-Germain liqueur.
Gen Korean Bbq
Parking: $7 valet
View this post on Instagram A post shared by GENWA (@genwaofficial) For Korean barbecue outside of Koreatown, our favorite place is still this upscale mini-chain with outposts in Beverly Hills, Mid-Wilshire and Downtown L.A. The dizzying array of high-quality banchan makes every diner feel like royalty, and the premium meat and seafood choices never disappoint for the nights when money is no object. As with other Korean barbecue restaurants, it’s best to order one of the set courses, all of which come with one or more cooked items like japchae (stir-fried potato-based glass noodles), soondubu or bibimbap.
When the mood for Korean barbecue strikes, Angelenos are awash in choices—and this mid-range South Korean chain cuts through the noise with reasonably priced meat combos, a rim around the grill for cooking steamed egg and a few show-stopping dishes perfect for entertaining friends and out-of-towners. Take the volcano fried rice, in which poured steamed egg provides the “lava, ” and the enormous corn- and cheese-studded pajeon (Korean pancake), both of which add extra flair to your meal. Though the small combos provide a filling meal for two, Maga provides the best value when dining with four or more, so get a group together and head on over.
Quarters is the sleeker, more party-oriented alternative to Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong, its counterpart just across the way in Koreatown’s Chapman Plaza. Though wait times are just as long, the ability to order different cuts by the quarter pound (hence the name) sets this place apart from the rest, since it’s one of the few places two diners can enjoy a wider selection of meat without needing to go to an AYCE joint. The signature oversized “ritas”—all of which feature an upside-down beer—and drinking fare like Korean nachos and galbi tacos also make it easy to hang out for awhile on the front patio while waiting for your table, but it’s the high-quality meats and affordable set combos keep us coming back.
Eight Korean Bbq, Los Angeles
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yangmani in Rowland Heights (@yangmani_rh) This underrated Korean barbecue restaurant with two locations (Koreatown and Rowland Heights) offers the usual tantalizing beef and pork selection alongside fattier organ meats like intestines and beef tripe, which crisp up wonderfully on a tabletop grill. Distinctive banchan like Asian pear and red onion salad and steamed perilla leaves add a unique component to every meal here, as does a supplemental steamed egg soufflé topped with bright orange fish eggs. If you’re not the type to go for offal, the Combo 4 includes pork belly, pork jowl, brisket and your choice of boneless short rib or rib eye—and feeds two to three people, depending on how hungry you are.
There’s no getting around it: Soot Bull Jeep is one of the last places in Koreatown to still use charcoal grills, which means the smoke and fumes from your grilled meat will permeate all your clothes, sticking around for what feels like ages. But KBBQ veterans know the lingering scent is well worth the hassle for the best old-school experience in town. The no-frills setting and minimal banchan fade away when you take one bite of the charcoal-grilled meat, which imparts a nice, smoky char to marinated galbi or a juicy piece of rib eye.
This ground floor restaurant at the Beverly Center offers an elevated take on Korean barbecue, complete with dry-aged steaks, top shelf cocktails and elements of a traditional American steakhouse. Think steamed egg soufflé topped with cheese and a tasty yukhoe (beef tartare) prepared tableside, though the house banchan, small selection of traditional soups and á la carte meat selections don’t disappoint, even if you’re intimately familiar with L.A.’s Korean barbecue scene. For a boozy spectacle, order the Hennessey-based Side Car Pop, which comes topped with a translucent bubble of St-Germain liqueur.
Gen Korean Bbq
Parking: $7 valet
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