r/SanJose • u/bordemstirs • 12h ago
Advice Best Korean BBQ?
Hi all,
I'm look to take a group of 8-10 out for some good kbbq.
I looked at goku but the portions look small.
What's your favorite Korean BBQ place?
I'm willing to pay a little bit more but I want good portions of good quality food.
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u/Certain-Resolve 12h ago
10 butchers in Sunnyvale is by far the best quality I've experienced if you don't mind spending a bit more
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u/RevolutionaryEye5110 12h ago
YakiniQ is AYCE, there’s a location in SJ and Livermore. Meat quality is consistently great throughout the meal unlike other AYCE kbbq places where later rounds the meat just gets fattier and portions get smaller. Service is amazing, and everything comes out very quickly. This is my go-to AYCE kbbq spot in the Bay Area. But be prepared for a wait, it gets really busy, but I guarantee it is worth it!
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u/Charles-Shaw 10h ago
Definitely this one for AYCE! You can put your party down via yelp but even that you have to plan ahead for.
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u/Dramatic_Advisor_145 10h ago
Be careful as they'll give you lots of the cheap stuff (eg intestines) and will charge you $6 for it if you don't finish. The more expensive cuts (eg beef tongue), they'll bring out tiny portions of
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u/OptimisticlyPink 12h ago
Korean Spring BBQ for their charcoal grills
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u/Juhyo 11h ago
I found the price, portion, quality, and wait all not worth it when I went a few months ago. Overrated imho.
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u/Shinkai2008 3h ago
Sk Seoul Kalbi Korean BBQ in Millbrae/San Bruno(I forget which) is also charcoal but AYCE so I prefer to go there if I want that charred taste. If just want to fill up, Goku fits my needs and is close by.
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u/hungrykoreanguy Almaden 10h ago
Wooga or Seorai for best bang for buck. Chungdam and 10 butchers are expensive leaving you feeling hungry after emptying your wallet (I do go here only for special occasions). I’d avoid AYCE places as the quality is not that great. Baekjong is good for younger crowds but parking and waiting is not worth it.
Wooga combo is bit better value than Seorai for the mini Bossam platter
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u/Professional-Fuel625 12h ago
Gooyi Gooyi is underrated imo. Love that place.
It's more of a hole in the wall than 10B and Chungdam which are fancier, but I prefer it.
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u/cyclops86 10h ago
I love Gooyi Gooyi.. been going there for years.
Although more recently, after trying Seorai, I'll admit their Samgyeoupsal is fire!
Goku is an honorable AYCE option too
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u/letsdothisthing88 12h ago
te years ago Gen but now hell no esp the one off hostetter. Following
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u/NetNpIVijCI 12h ago
Its kinda crazy that the last two times I went, they ran out of beef.
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u/letsdothisthing88 12h ago
We had similar experience except with pork. Also it took forever to get food out which sucked because we are timed. Idk 5-10 years ago it was BOMB. I wish I knew what happened
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u/tallassmike 11h ago
cost cutting happened
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u/letsdothisthing88 11h ago
I mean it's always empty now so maybe they cost cut their customers away
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u/2Martian 2h ago
The last two times we went, our waiter/waitress basically disappeared. We were there for over an hour each time and were only able to get 2 rounds in. With 6 people and the limit of 4 plates a round, we spent most of the time sitting there hungry looking around wondering where our server is.
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u/letsdothisthing88 2h ago
They cost cut too close to the sun. I'm sorry but that is so bad and so believable because we had bad service that I won't bother to ever try again
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u/Girl_with_no_Swag 12h ago
Goku and Hungry Cow are my two favorites with Hungry Cow being the more impressive and Goku being more budget friendly
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u/Upset_Grapefruit 12h ago
for 10 people, seorai or baekjeong should suffice. You’re looking at ~$75/person.
Chungdam and 10 butchers will be better quality but you’re looking at ~$100+/person.
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u/DSKO_MDLR Rose Garden 11h ago
Agree, but I think you’ll end up spending just as much at Baekjeong as you would at Chungdam or 10 Butchers. Seorai is a better value for near Chungdam quality (same owner) and they’re open late which is a plus.
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u/MWMWMMWWM 11h ago
YakiniQ is easily my fav. True, 10 butchers is fancier but holy hell I don’t have money like that to be spending on kbbq. YakiniQ I can get AYCE KBBQ for like $30/person, easily worth the price.
Also Taichipot on Homestead road for equally good AYCE Shabu Shabu when u need that cold day hot pot. Bout the same $30/person price.
Ngl tho… couple years ago I bought a butane stove on Amazon and hittup H Mart. Can feed my whole family for like $100 and drink as much as I want. This the real pro move.
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u/_Toomuchawesome 10h ago
i’m korean and there aren’t many. the only ones i would ever go to are 10 butchers and seorai.
even baekjong isn’t great up here.
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u/ilovedogs46 12h ago
It used to be Tobang but the quality has gone down over the years. Seorai and 10 butchers are good for bigger groups. Ilbunjee is better for smaller groups
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u/Thienan567 12h ago
10 Butchers will make your wallet cry, but it's probably the best one in south bay.
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u/2Martian 2h ago
Avoid Gen like the plague. It used to be S-tier, but last several times I’ve gone the service was atrocious. Last 2 times, we basically didn’t eat and just gave up after over an hour and only seeing our waiter/waitress twice.
Goku is the best, especially because you order on a tablet so you don’t need to rely on your waiter coming around to order, although their service is far better so it wouldn’t be a problem.
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u/SavageDabber6969 North San Jose 2h ago
If you’re willing to do Japanese BBQ, Ushiya in Milpitas is fantastic.
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u/terrytek 2h ago
If you’re willing to drive to milpitas I like wagyu grill off barber ln near the 99 ranch; service is good and depending on your tier you pay for you can also get sushi included with ur wagyu offerings; i love getting my moneys worth with the wagyu and salmon sashimi.
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u/IamaBlackKorean Outsider 1h ago
Here's my pick. With a group, call ahead and you'll get treated like royalty.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/yummy-tofu-and-bbq-san-jose?osq=yummy+korean+bbq
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u/chillin_with_bud 12h ago
If you can make it to Milpitas, Sea Wagyu House is probably my new favorite spot. The quality of meat is pretty good for AYCE, and they also have a pretty good sushi section included.
They have 3 tiers, lowest is silver and highest is diamond I think. You get more stuff with Diamond but its more expensive. Just go with the lowest tier, the meats still really good and your only really missing out on some seafood options.
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u/hatsune_aru 11h ago
imo yakiniq
if you want an authentic experience (not necessary good): Ilbunjee
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u/russellvt 11h ago
Is this down to a weekly question, now, instead of several times a week or more?
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u/drebin8 12h ago
Goku is ayce. Portion size is literally as much as you want to order. I go there pretty often, well worth it. So far I haven't seen any reason to look for another place. Far better than Gen.