Chung Kiwha Korean BBQ

A gem in the midst of a culinary landscape, if you know the pleasure of Korean bbq you will see the value in this great experience. Korean bbq is both an enriching and cool cultural experience but also an unbelievably delicious please to eat. Sticker shock may turn you off initially but there is a deep hedonistic satisfaction to unlimited access to meats and small plates. The staff is amazing, clearly dedicated to their work. The owner greeted us and was very courteous and went out of his way to give us a good experience. Well worth it when you want an enriching social experience with food and beverage. If you are in the northern Kentucky area and you are missing a masterfully crafted dining experience this is where to find it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and if you know someone versed in Korean bbq be sure to bring them to experience something new and enriching in the most full way you can.

Do not go! $ 35/​person for regular grilled meat? Such a rip off. It’s way too expensive for what they have to offer. Not worth it!

We have been to this place a few times, on our way back to Louisville from Cincinnati. From our experience, you will have to walk in LOUDLY to draw the owner’s attention! I’m not kidding, I’ve seen customers quietly standing at the door for like 10 min just waiting to be seated!
They are charcoal grilled Korean bbq, so be prepared to get all stinky afterward! Other than the stinky part, charcoal grill tastes better than the gas grilled!
The buffet costs around $ 35. They have couple kinds of sliced beef (kalbi and bulgogi). I like kalbi better, which is thicker and more tender. Don’t miss the miso paste and garlic (i prefer to slightly grill the garlic to avoid strong leftover smell in my mouth)! Love the Korean way of eating Kalbi, wrapping it with miso paste, garlic, and maybe some rice, in lettuce! They also have the marinated pork, chicken and squid, which are all slightly spicy.
They also have some veggie, and seafood, which their shrimps, scallops and mussels are usually pretty decent.
They also offer some side dishes (seasonal), 2 kinds of soup, rice and fruit (usually pineapple, and usually very sweet!)
It seems to be pretty pricey, but for the price, you get to eat a good selection of meat. They may not be the best, but the best one (in my opinion) is like an hour away and it’s not on the way back home.
Will definitely recommend people in that area, who is looking for unlimited meat!

I tried to give this place a try, but the service was so bad when I walked in to be served that the family and I walked out.
I kind of got the distinct feeling I was not welcomed there.
I was prepared for the price from reading the Unilocal reviews, I was not prepared for horrible service and felling like I walked into a Korean only restaurant.

Definitely worth the cost. Previous comments mention how expensive it is. Feel like they should hold their tongue, if you are going to a place with 3 $‘s you should know it’s not cheap. I also noticed people mentioning the service, it is family run. I watched every tray get refilled at least twice in the 45 minutes I was there. Only two people working and my water glass was never empty. An amazing Kentucky gem. Highly recommend eating here, just be ready to eat a lot and be ready to pay for it to. Never would think to find such an amazing Korean bbq in Kentucky. Definitely will be returning the next time I am passing through!

This place gets a rap for its price and the seemingly lack of customers they have. I really like Korean food so I went on a whim after passing it so many times. The service is indeed buffet style, with lots of options for you to make over the charcoal grill at your table. The food itself was incredibly good — I tried all the side dishes and almost every meat option plus soup. Nothing was bad; especially since you can cook it to your own liking and the charcoal really adds to the flavor.
The only real downside to this place was the price. Pre tip with soda for one was 39.00. Indeed, expensive, but the meal was so good I had no regrets. Bottom line — if you are okay with spending a little money and have a rather large appetite for good Korean food, go for it.

This was my first KBBQ experience. We went for a new dinner experience with another couple and really enjoyed the plethora of options from beef, pork and various seafood proteins, along with several different veggies. Overall, the setting is not up to par for the price you are paying. ($ 35 – 40 per person). No alcohol selection and mediocre service were big turn offs.
For me it was a one time trial, we were satisfied and I would recommend to others to try it for the experience because the food was great, but there really wasn’t any value due to the price point.

Pretty pricy for Korean BBQ, but there aren’t many paces around the area that does CHARCOAL bbq. That’s right! They bring our charcoal to your table, and will bring out new ones if you request it. Its a great selection of meat and deliciously marinated. Always has other Korean side dish selections and fruits on the side and some rice and soup. Around $ 35/​person last time I went, but if you craving Korean BBQ super bad and cooked on charcoal yourself then it is super worth it! Get ready to wear stretchy pants, not your nice shirt (it will splatter and get grease) and the best part? YOU WILL SMELL OF Korean BBQ afterwards. You’ll smell tasty and smokey! Happy Meat Eatting!

Met a group of friends here yesterday evening. I went there fully aware of the price per person based on Unilocal reviews.
The owners were very nice, and the service included drink refills, advice about best cooking techniques, coal replacement, light conversation.
The food was enjoyable. It is simply marinated meats, some seafood, veggies including peppers and onions, watermelon, some other stuff. And obviously, you cook everything yourself.
After taxes, you will be paying about $ 38 total for your food, which is unlimited, and a drink with free refills.
I would like to return because I enjoyed that the owners really know how to make a patron feel welcome, the food is good, and the interactive concept of the Korean BBQ should be experienced often. I would return if the price was a bit more realistic. Compared to other Korean BBQ spots I’ve been to, and other buffets, I think a buffet price of $ 25 would be a price I’d be willing to pay, and then I would come here more often. I understand that it is all-​you-​can-​eat, but it is impossible for me to eat $ 34 worth of Korean BBQ, so I’m getting the short end of the stick.
To conclude, only the price is keeping me from ever coming here again. Here’s a bit of perspective: Swad’s all you can eat lunch buffet costs only $ 8.50 per person…

Worst service ever! Great food but after driving two hours on two occasions and once being closed randomly (which I’ll take the blame for not calling) and then the second time being turned away at 7:30 pm even though they close at 10pm — because all the tables were dirty and they are too cheap to hire busboys. I did actually eat there three times before and as I said, very good food, but even during those times the service was absolutely terrible — long wait even though tables were available, slow to restock food on bar, refills? Forget about it! My advice to the owners — hire some help! I’ll never go there again simply on principle. The principle that people who suck at service THAT BAD on multiple occasions don’t deserve my hard earned money.

Wow, what a rip off! Never going here again!
First off, the food is good but definitely not worth $ 35. They have a decent variety of meats and seafood but it is nothing special. Without the sauce, the meats would not be as good.
The reason why I gave this place a one star is because of the slow service, mandatory 18% gratuity and the fact they threw an extra $ 5 on to my bill for no reason.
They only have one server and it’s an old lady gimping around, taking her time filling everyone’s water. That’s literally all the service there is because you grab and cook your own food. She doesn’t even take your plates away.
You’re going charge me an 18% gratuity so I can serve and cook myself a meal while you gimp around with a water pitcher??? I asked why is there an 18% gratuity? The old lady literally said «well, some people tip and some people don’t so we just add on 18% tip». Well, some people don’t tip because you’re terrible at your only job of re-​filling water and it’s a buffet where you literally serve and cook your own meal.
My bill came out to be $ 86(after taxes and gratuity) for two people and when I checked my credit card, I was charged $ 91.70.
Wow! I have never been more irritated at a restaurant in my entire life. I hope this place goes out of business!

It’s a Sunday evening, March 29, 2015, a little past 7:30, and in shock by the treatment.
I came in, was told it is $ 34. 95 per person, and there would be a 10 minute wait. I agreed.
While waiting, 8 people came after me. A man came up and seated the last two that had just walked in. Then told the 6 he’ll get to them to leave.
He then turned to me after the other patrons pointed out I was there first. He asked how many, I said 1, and he told me there were no tables. (There was another man eating by himself.) He then gestured with hand towards the door.
It was so shockingly unprofessional and rude others gasped and left with me.
I’m never, ever coming back for obvious reasons.

Most expensive korean BBQ I ever heard in my life!!!
Close to 40 dollars per person after tax, they didn’t write that on the door or menu,
You can eat the same quality food in Atlanta for 25 USD

No service. Seafood is tasteless. You need to add salt and pepper yourself. The only good thing is short rib.

I love going to this place. The owners are always so friendly and helpful.
And of course the food is amazing — it’s all you can eat… can’t get any better than that!

I was in town for a car show and decided to try this place out. The short ribs and ribeye tasted very good. At $ 35 per person, it was a little over priced. Scallops, mussels, shrimp, and clams were good as well. They only had one person waiting on the tables which looked like husband/​wife running the show. They had a big sign that said sushi but apparently they got it anymore so that kinda of sucked. We asked them to change out our grille 2 times because it got very burnet/​charred and the lady wasn’t very happy about that and gave us an attitude and told us that they only change it out once. For $ 35 per person, she better provide better service than that. I don’t think I will be coming back unless they dropped the price down to $ 15-​$ 20. But it was a good experience.

This Korean BBQ join is a bit far from my home in Fairfield, nearly an hour actually. It’s a nice little place. I stopped in on a super cold, somewhat snowy Thursday night in January.
This was not my first time at the KBBQ grill so to speak. I’ve been to some of the bests in Las Vegas, San Francisco and New York. Perhaps it’s clouding my judgement a bit. Grain of salt and all that.
I do like how this place is more of a buffet, allowing you to easily load your plate with the items you want to try. I had great luck with the squid, chicken and scallops. I had less luck with the vegetables and spicy pork. Good, not great.
The barley tea I was served is the only tea they had. A staple of Korean restaurants, but hardly the reality for Korean culture which serves all kinds of teas.
The service was conscientious and fair, if sparse. I loved how the place was mostly filled with Koreans, not just random Asians. And I enjoyed watching the Korean soap opera on the television they had going as well. It provided an authentic, cultured experience that wasn’t over the top.
I may go again, with a group of friends, which is how KBBQ is best consumed, especially for the price range (I think I was around $ 40 with tip.) But I don’t know if I’d make a special trip for it without being prompted.

This was a tough call for me. On one hand, I love Korean BBQ and the fact that I can actually get it in the Cincinnati area is great. The Kalbi and the Bulgogi was really tasty, as were the other meats and seafood options (scallops, shrimp, and calamari). It’s authentic in the sense that there are the coal grills at the tables and hooded vents to properly suck out the grill smoke. So I might have rated this a 4 based on that.
However, it’s $ 36 per person for just the meal, not including any drinks you might get. I know it’s all you can eat, but that’s quite a price tag for how much you can realistically eat (though, to be fair, all Korean food in the area is priced quite high). Also, the banchan was fairly sub par and missing some of the traditional favorites.
Like others have said, this is where you go to satisfy your craving for Korean bbq. But only once in a long while with the pricing.

Fact: No matter how big your appetite, it’s very hard to eat $ 40+ worth of marinated meat in one sitting.
Coming from New York, I knew I wouldn’t find exceptional Korean BBQ in this area, so my expectations were calibrated. On the plus side, this place will satisfy an intense craving for Kbbq that includes some seafood (scallops are good). On the downside, while you may leave full – no, painfully stuffed– your wallet most certainly won’t be. Also, come for the meat. The banchan (side dishes) are less than appetizing. Pineapples, however, are BOMB. Last time our group ate so many pineapples that I was beginning to think they kept a small field in the back.

We arrived at 5pm, exactly when they open. So when we walked in through the doors, no one was in the restaurant. There was even no one there to greet us so we went inside and grabbed a table. When they finally noticed us, they were very friendly and explained to us how the all you can eat menu worked. Growing up in LA, I have very high expectations for korean bbq. Especially because Chung Kiwha is a bit more pricey, I was definitely expecting a nice meal.
My whole party ordered the all you can eat option. Instead of bringing the side dishes and the plates of meat to you, they had a buffet style bar where you can grab a big plate and mix and match the meats that you want. This is good because you’re able to grab exactly how much you want, without having to worry about finishing a whole plate if your party was getting a bit stuffed. The side dishes were not impressive. I found it odd that they had japanese style miso soup at a korean restaurant. One disturbing thing that I saw though was a fly buzzing around over the side dishes. I came in time to shoo it away… but I’m sure that didn’t get rid of it for good. Very worrisome. Also, the grill was also a bit too small for my liking. But overall, the experience was alright and I would come back if I was really really craving korean bbq.