Taegukgi Korean BBQ House

This is one of my favorite places to go and get Korean bbq. Their Korean bbq is on point, super delicious. I usually come here with friends for dinner. Their dining room is really big so it great for big groups. If you’re getting bbq, I really recommend that you ask them for rice paper, rice paper +bbq =bomb. They also have a really huge TV inside so It great to come here on sports days. The parking lot here is huge so you won’t have any issues finding parking.

Compared to Manna they have better quality meat, but their service and side dishes like the salad and steamed eggs isn’t great. But they have more alcohol options. The mango soju was bomb not too sweet, not too alcoholy.
Parking is also not a problem and there are a ton of dessert places nearby for part2.

Firstly, this place is interesting as you’re walking up to it bc there are flashing lights and something that looks like an outdoor patio play area with flower fountains, a snack bar, lanterns, etc… It looks like they get super packed so this area would be good to pass the time.
Secondly, the service was impeccable. It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten my grill changed out 4 – 5 times during a 1.5 hour all-​you-​can-​eat kbbq session. My water was never empty and my grill was never bare. They legit were so attentive. Also, the staff engaged my BF and I (who just moved to SD) in a very friendly conversation. AND the asst mgr (Anthony) treated us to their amazing macaroon ice cream sandwiches as a «Welcome to SD» treat.
Thirdly, the meats were soooo fresh and soooo tasty! I love kbbq, I’m from Atlanta and we have some damn good spots, but (DARE I SAY) this is THE BEST KBBQ I’ve ever had in my life!!!
Can’t wait to come June 29^th for their 3^rd year anniversary bash. $ 3 pints for any beer sounds pretty enticing.

Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of Taegukgi Korean BBQ House. This is because it’s my preference when a restaurant is advertised as All You Can Eat that I choose my own meat and what I want.
The ambiance is super cool with a hipster upbeat atmosphere. The server was also nice. The tables are a little cramped up and not that much space without consolidating dishes.
I’ve been to a lot of Korean AYCE restaurants and this one did not WOW me. First the dipping sauce is alright and it lacked flavor. I had to sprinkle salt and some on my meat.
You choose from a list of meats and they bring out 2 different ones at a time. If you come with a large group, you probably all have to choose almost the same thing as oppose to going up to the buffet line and picking what you want to cook. Oh and lastly, it does not come with vegetables. You would need to either upgrade your AYCE choices to the premium or ask for a side order with a cost. At other places I’ve been for the same price, you can choose your vegetables and banchan.
Overall, it’s a nice and clean place but not my place to eat unless it’s a group with friends for the company.

I came here to celebrate a family member’s homecoming and they were craving KBBQ. So I asked some friends and they recommended this place. The atmosphere was cool and had a sports bar vibe. I really enjoyed the large windows which let a lot of light in. I prefer well light places.
We had the Lunch menu which was only $ 19.99 per person compared to the regular $ 23.99. Of course the meat selection was limited, so we could only choose from 6 – 7 meats. I didn’t mind that so much.
I did mind the service. We were seated quickly since we went at a slow time. If I remember, there were only like 3 other parties besides us. Our waiter took our drink and meat orders quickly, but we didn’t get our drinks until 15 min after we started cooking our meats. We ordered 2 steamed eggs at the beginning and never got them. So we had to ask again and finally got it in the middle of our 2^nd round of food. When I got the check, I waited for like 10 minutes for someone to pick it up. And it took a while for them to return it to me, which made me very anxious seeing how there shouldn’t be a line to pay. (I’m always nervous when I can’t see the person handling my cards. Just a paranoid habit of mine.)
I know this is a serve yourself kind of place, but when I needed service, I didn’t get it. I saw at least 5 workers, and like I said in the beginning there were only like 3 other parties so I felt they should have been more attentive. I try to be patient with service, since I know many food service workers. But when the wait staff outnumbers the number of tables, then I think the service should have been a lot better.
As for the food, I’m not a big KBBQ fan. I only came because that’s where my family member wanted to go. This review was mainly for my service experience.

WHAT A FUN DATE NIGHT EXPERIENCE! This was our first ever Korean BBQ experience and couldn’t have loved it more. we were greeted by a loud Yelling welcome from all of the staff members. we noticed that they do this every time someone enters the restaurant which was kind of cool. I wonder if this is a custom of authentic Korean places?
Their specialty cocktails were very good. we ordered off their «secret menu» and highly suggest the starburst flavor that we ordered! the smoking beer towers are also very fun… especially to document on snapchat!
the beef bulgogi was the table favorite by far but the spicy chicken was also delicious. I loved many of the side dishes including the tofu, the sesame rice noodles, and their potato salad type snack. it was fun to experience cooking together as a group. we were not a fan of the squid AT ALL! maybe we overcooked it but it was not tasty and chewy as heck!

I am in love! Brought my parents here to celebrate my Mom’s birthday (she loves everything Korea) and we all had a great time!
Here’s my Short and sweet review as there really isn’t much more I can add to the other reviews! So here’s why I liked it…
1 STAR: LOTS of parking!!!
1 STAR: Great servers who bring my meat out fast!
1 STAR: Quality meat and seafood!
1 STAR: Many condiments to choose from!
1 STAR: I’m pretty sure I got my money’s worth… my bulging gut says so!
They have a cute little area with smaller tables which is separated from the big restaurant area. I’ll have to try that section next time.
Only gripe (and maybe it’s cuz I’m old haha) but it was loud! The music was overwhelmingly loud and none of us could really even hear what the servers were saying. Could barely even hear what each other were saying throughout the night! Haha yeah, maybe we’re all old!
We all already have plans to return and bring our out of town visitors to!

My review is a little skewed as I didn’t have a typical experience here. One of my superiors at work took the entire management team out for dinner here to blow off steam during our busy season, so we were in the private room in the back and I didn’t pay for anything. As such, I have no idea what things cost, or what it’s like to just stop in as a couple or small group.
That said, the service was excellent. We were never really waiting for more meat, sides, or drinks, and the staff was really flexible. After we finished eating, we wanted to do karaōke (read: We were drunk), and we hadn’t arranged it in advance. The staff was able to accommodate us on the zero minutes of notice. It would have been completely acceptable, and probably wise, for them to tell us to pound sand, but they let us proceed to annoy probably everybody. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
The food itself was good. Part of my rating is that I don’t really have a frame of reference as I’ve never had this family style, cook-​it-​yourself Korean barbecue before, but all of the meats seemed tasty and of good quality and the soju was as sneaky as always. Parking was also plentiful with plenty of room to leave your car overnight should you need to. I’d certainly like to try this place again.

** $ 15.99 AYCE Lunch Special on TUESDAYS **
The gluttony in all of us constantly searches for the unicorn all-​you-​can-​eat Korean bbq. Specifically a lunch AYCE Kbbq. I had seen Taegukgi Korean BBQ House over the years but never tried them as the reviews were mixed. I’d do a quick drive-​by peek of their empty patio when I would visit Zion Market right next door. So I was happy to share this gluttonous adventure with friend the past two weeks. Yeah. We visited two weeks in a row — both on Tuesdays in order to get the $ 15.99 lunch deal. The AYCE lunch option at Taegukgi Korean BBQ House normally costs $ 19.99 so the $ 4 savings on Tuesdays is a nice (almost) 20% savings.
Their indoor seating is massive. The largest we have ever seen. It felt like a warehouse which wasn’t bad as it felt open and the a/​c was blasting. Two good traits when you’re eating Kbbq.
Each table is already set with complimentary banchan by the time you are seated. There’s even a bottle of ice water ready to be poured.
The banchan included kimchi, Korean pancake, fish cake, japchae (Korean noodles), cucumbers, bean sprouts, stewed potatoes. You also get a hefty serving of crisp salad with ginger dressing.
And behold. The Korean steamed egg (gaeran jim) is served right away to your table. They served it before we even ordered on our first visit. The Gaeran jim was fluffy and had some nice moisture content in this hot cauldron. Make sure to sprinkle some sea salt on top of the egg as the egg can taste a bit bland.
There are eight proteins you can choose from. You are able to order four at a time.
We ordered:
Beef brisket:
— The brisket was sliced thinly and wasn’t too fatty.
Taegukgi Pork ribs:
— It was almost one piece of rib with the meat cut into strips (while still attached to the bone).
Beef belly:
— I’ve said this before but this food blogger isn’t scared of fat on any protein. Well, a decent amount of fat, not an abundant amount of fat I should say. I haven’t encountered beef belly at an AYCE before so it was fun seeing this on the menu here at Taegukgi Korean BBQ house. The beef belly had a 50% fat and 50% meat ratio to the slices that day.
Chicken BBQ:
— The dark meat chicken had a nice sweet marinade. Keep in mind that you can request ½ an order of a protein which we did here.
Beef bulgogi:
— It has an intense sweet marinade which some people like. You can put the bulgogi in the center of the grill and let the marinade sizzle down to the rest of the proteins. The bulgogi grills nicely as the sugar from the marinade produces a delicious char on the beef.
Service was efficient and thoughtful on both visits. We particularly liked Zach as he was helpful and always asked if we wanted more of anything. Friend had to leave but there was still food on the grill (remember how the grill was too low which resulted in über slow cooking times). He asked for the check but Zach politely told him he would bring us the check once we finish the food on the grill (*cough cough* — his way of saying ‘you have to finish all that’s on the grill or I’m going to have to charge’ you kinda cough).
We would absolutely come back for their Tuesday AYCE lunch special. Taegukgi is a step above Roadem BBQ (even though Roadem’s $ 9.99 AYCE lunch special is convenient). The ambiance and vibe of Taegukgi is much more engaging and fun. We’ve never had more than a five minute wait when we visited Tuesdays for lunch but I heard weekends get crowded so be mindful of that. Regardless, their $ 15.99 Tuesday lunch special was worth every penny and we’re happy to have finally visited Taegukgi Korean BBQ house.

I came here yesterday for a late lunch around 2pm. Parking was plentiful considering it was a Saturday afternoon at the Zion marketplace. My friend and I waited about five minutes before getting seated. Unusual since the place was half full. However, there were a lot of reserved tables.
You go inside the restaurant and the music is on fullllll blast! It’s American pop music. The restaurant itself is a larger space compared to the other Korean BBQ restaurants along Convoy. The banchan (side dishes) were plentiful but the green salad looked like it was pulled directly from the sink. Unfortunately this watered down the peanut sesame dressing. Good thing the other dishes were better. The server came by and explained to my friend and I the all-​you-​can-​eat menu. It’s $ 23.99 for beef bulgogi, other cow parts, pork belly, pork ribs, chicken, spicy squid, and steamed egg. The upgraded PREMIUM menu is $ 4 more and that includes the marinated short ribs (kalbi). My friend and I decided to go for the premium menu.
You start with four plates from the BBQ menu. We both ordered the kalbi, trumpet mushrooms, and pork belly. We were advised that is a one order per person for the kalbi. As is the premium cut sirloin. Not a big deal, right? Well… when the meats arrived, we only saw four strips of kalbi. We thought maybe they’ll bring another plate later. We asked our server. She said no… it’s two strips per person. It would have been nice to know that ahead of time.
Next order is the premium cut sirloin and seasoned beef sirloin from the upgraded menu. We also ordered beef tongue for it’s quick cooking. The sirloin came out as a filet with a huge chunk of fat. Unfortunately it was pretty tough. It definitely wasn’t USA prime! The seasoned beef sirloin came topped with green onions. Even cooked medium rare, it was flavorless.
Overall, the food was just mehhhh. For the cost of the meal vs the quality, I don’t see myself coming back here again.

I love love love this KBBQ spot! It’s more on the pricy side, but you get lots of appetizers at the beginning, and you get a wide variety of meats… And it’s all unlimited!!!
I love coming here for the bugolgi and their rice paper! You have to ask for the rice paper, or else it doesn’t come out unless you ask for it! I like how they portion out the meats. They give you enough for two people, maybe even less than than that, but it’s great. That way you can see if you have enough for more food in your belly! :)
They also have great soju! My BF and I had a pineapple one and a blueberry. This was my first time not getting a yogurt one, and I have to say I was impressed. Both of them were so flavorful! It definitely got the job done half way through the bottle!
You can’t forget about dessert! This was the first place we discovered, in SD, who carried macaron ice cream! Ahhhh! My BF and I would seriously just stop by just to get some! Haha. We both love the green tea one, and the vanilla.

For such an interesting looking location, I was underwhelmed by how ordinary this KBBQ establishment was. I was so excited since the location is so roomy and decked out with modern furnishings, but honestly, I do not know if my experience here was worth the lukewarm service, and frozen meat.
We went at an odd hour (4PM), and there was not a lot of people. Despite this, our first server never really checked up how we were and I actually had to flag her down to attend to our table. Oh no, they are not understaffed. There were a good amount of people running around, so I do not understand the slow service at all. Between rounds of meat (at which you only could get 4 types of meat during 1 round), the waits were long. Apparently there was a new guy in charge of meats in the kitchen, but that does not excuse the sad excuse for service that we had to experience! We ran out of water and it took a long time to get that refilled. Also, though the waitress checked our table for IDs since I wanted to share a peach soju with 2 other friends, we only got 2 shot glasses and had to wait about 10 minutes for another glass to come to the table by another fellow. Service got slightly better near the end, by some waiter with an iPad and one of the first smiles I seen in this place. Waiter-​san, you are the real hero of the day.
I didn’t even talk about the food yet! To me, everything– from the barely thawed galbi to the side dishes to peach yogurt soju– tasted so WEAK. The food is clearly there, but it just tasted watery, as opposed to delicately balanced. I was sort of disappointed and found myself stopping earlier than I usually do at an all-​you-​can-​eat BBQ. Then again, taste is subjective. You might find yourself liking the place since it is slightly cheaper than other KBBQ places in the area!
My verdict for this place is this: though the environment is popping, this place still needs a lot of improvement.

Love love love this place. The lighting, music, and décor made me think I was eating in downtown Seoul. It is definitely a party atmosphere and built for eating and drinking with friends.
We went with some of my cousins friends who had never tried Korean BBQ before and they absolutely loved it. We had the typical items but also tried the intestine, tongue, and squid. This is nothing for us but it was fun watching our friends try it.
Highly recommend this place for a good time.

I’ve been here twice already. Can’t really remember the first time which was only like 3 or 4 months ago but I went yesterday too. I really like the way their brisket taste here. I’m a little sad though since my favorite meat, galbi (short ribs) is on the premium menu (uuughh) and you only get one order per person I believe (Ya girl can go like 3 or 4 rounds with the galbi). So I feel like it wasn’t worth having everyone at the table pay extra for my needs. So we stuck to brisket, bulgogi, beef belly and beef tongue for the most part. Which was fine, it did the job.
The servers did well on checking on us and everything also so that was good. Probably not my first choice for KBBQ but I wouldn’t mind going there if it was someone elses first choice, if that makes sense.

LOCATION: Taegukgi is such a fun place for KBBQ. They are pricer than others nearby but with good reason. There are tons of tables and grills and a bar as well. They have a good selection of beers on tap, much more than you would find at your average KBBQ. Along with that, there are beer towers as well as huge TV’s that no matter where you sit you have a good view, again something you wouldn’t find at others and almost guarantee a fun time. In terms of service, it’s been up and down. I’ve had amazing service but also mediocre but because I enjoy the food so much its never been a big different to me.
FOOD: The sides are the usuals but they have a great selection of meats included in your basic package. I love that they have options for pork belly and thin pork belly as well as beef belly, something one of the waiters recommended. The tables and grills are always clean upon arriving and I always enjoy my time here.

To be fair, I should start off by saying that this is my first Korean BBQ experience so I don’t really have anything to compare it to. After this, though, I’m not sure I’ll have another.
The restaurant is very large and loud. It just seems like chaos. The staff is on their headsets the entire time, talking to each other, even while I’m talking to them. But I couldn’t hear my waiter over the music anyway even when he was talking to me.
I did not like any of the food and I tried several items. Just didn’t seem like very good quality meat and my stomach bothered me a bit after we left.
The prices were reasonable. It was less than $ 25 a person for all you can eat.
If I do try Korean BBQ again, it’ll for sure be at a different restaurant.

Taegukgi KBBQ House is located on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. just around the corner from Zion Market and next to M.I.T. Express.
PARKING
There’s plenty of parking spaces right outside the restaurant and there’s plenty of seating both inside the restaurant and in their covered patio area.
ATMOSPHERE
This AYCE KBBQ place is larger than most KBBQ restaurants I’ve been to (except for GEN Korean BBQ). It gets pretty noisy here during peak hours or when they are packed with customers.
FOOD
I was out with my sister-​in-​law when she suggested we eat here for lunch. We were pretty hungry so we filled up on the salad and other banchan items. We mainly ordered their spicier items but it was just subpar. I’m not sure if it just had too much gochujang but we both felt that the food was mediocre. Maybe it was just an off day because she likes this place.
SERVICE
Service was great. An employee came by to check on us and make sure our waters were filled and grills were clean. No complaints here.
TIPS
Your clothes, hair, and skin will smell. Even with the lowered exhaust fans, you still end up smelling like KBBQ. Something to keep in mind if you’re planning to head out somewhere afterwards.
Overall, the service was good, the restaurant was clean, employees were nice, but the food just didn’t cut it for me during my last visit. Like I said, it could have been an off day for them. I’d like to come back again and give them another shot!

I. Can’t.Move. Will someone please give me a piggy back ride to my car? Please and thank you.
Still happy with the waiter service (NOT THE CASHIERS) and hipster sports vibe atmosphere here. My go-​tos are the rib fingers and brisket. I always have to get my requisite steamed egg to toss into my steamed rice along with their assortment of sides… blah blah blah nobody cares!
One of the couples in our group was treated quite rudely by the cashier so we weren’t too happy about that. And then the co-habby’s credit card went missing but we were given the bill. What the fuck??? They found it eventually while scrambling through a bunch of other credit cards. ORGANIZATION PEOPLE, JEEZUS CHRIST!!! Damn butterfinger fumblers! Now I’m pissed again.
I’ll stick with Manna BBQ in Mira Mesa. Thanks.

I feel like the cleanliness and quality went down from the last time I’ve been here.
Grills: the grills were clean, but not the bottom. You know when they lift up the grill to change it or light the gas on? Well they are supposed to dump out all the fat and grease that drips down there per customer. Ours was a HUGE pile of grease and fat down there, it was nearly half full! They just let the grease pile up. It was pretty disgusting every time we saw it.
Sides: amazing awesome sides but ran out so fast. We came on a Saturday night and they ran out of rice paper, seaweed, and the clear noodles by 6pm. The rice paper this time was so hard and flaky, it’s been sitting out too long.
Meats: if you get regular, meat quality sucks. I guess the way to go is premium. We got bulgogi, house pork spare ribs, marinated spare ribs, squid, brisket, beef tongue, beef fingers, pork belly and steamed eggs. The bulgogi fell apart when we grilled it and was too sweet. We love the beef fingers. Sucks that you have to pay premium to get the kalbi spareribs. We think Mannas have better quality.
Service was great. More younger and attentive servers than Mannas. Better vents, tables and even a huge screen with craft beers then Mannas, but meat quality is not comparable.

OK my heart is still set at Manna’s. I had been wanting to try this BBQ house since they opened and tonight was the night so I was really looking forward to a different vibe since I am the Korean BBQ duchess.
Unfortunately, I was immediately disappointed. Although we were seated immediately, we were not greeted for ten minutes and I was thirsty as hell for some water. Isn’t water standard? They should just put the water bottle on the table when they put all of the sides on the table. Then, I was about to dig into the salad and noticed like, 6 rotten pieces (see photo… I ain’t lying). Then, I found a f*cking hair in the noodles. I didn’t want it to be like this!!! I had higher expectations!!! I thought that we would AT LEAST get a small discount on our dinner or comped desserts or something.
The entire experience wasn’t terrible though. They play fun music and have fun drinks on their menu. The serving sizes of the meats were normal (unlike Kogi Korean BBQ… Their serving sizes are for ants) and were good quality. They are really good at changing the grill and the servers were friendly. They also had shaved ice! I am the shaved ice duchess! I didn’t get it though because no one wanted to share with me. I did, however, get a macaroon ice cream sandwich. It was so tiny and it was $ 3.75. If I knew how tiny it was, I would have went to Blush Desserts up the street for one. They are 3x in size, the cookie is softer, you can mix the cookie/​ice cream flavor, you can add a topping, and they’re only $ 5.
I know the rotten salad pieces and the hair in the noodles isn’t something they do on the reg so I’d probably come back, but only if someone was paying for it and I didn’t have to wait in line. This was just a reminder of why Manna’s forever makes my pu$$y wet.

Y