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Mapo Korean BBQ
Categories: Restaurants Korean Restaurants Barbeque Korean, Barbeque [Edit]
14909 Crenshaw Blvd#102
Gardena, CA 90249
(310) 679-3622
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
65 reviews for Mapo Korean BBQ
Review Highlights
"The best dish on the menu is the "Special J."
(in 2 reviews)
"Pork belly: lightly marinated and not just all fat."
(in 11 reviews)
"We ordered Seasoned beef and pork belly to start."
(in 5 reviews)
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65 reviews in English
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Review from Katie W.
Gardena, CA
10/3/2011
Never underestimate mom and pop restaurants!
MAPO is the best kbbq in LA/Southbay area.
I see some negative reviews but I've had many many good experiences at Mapo. Meat quality is exceptional, no cheapie stuff like other kbbq places in Gardena. My favs are brisket, joo moo luck and pork neck. I havent tried the special JB yet since I usually get AYCE but I've heard it`s out of this world good. I love their salad and special sauce for the meat. Side dishes are great too.
Two waitresses were attentive and fast in getting the things I needed. They might not be the most smiley people but they always get what I want quickly so I`m not complaining. No comments on the hostess. The owner comes out to greet the customers and I think that`s awesome!
I recommend sitting outside to use the authentic charcoal grill. -
Review from Susie P.
La Mirada, CA
9/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
THERE IS NO COMBO B!!
which was my favorite combo... but if you get COMBO A you have to pay for the rice dduk.
the meat used to come out not frozen and fresh, one of the best that I remember, but now its frozen.
not that good anymore.
and not one of my favorite AYCE meat places anymore.
I dont wanna pay 19 dollars a person for combo C or like 14 a person for comboA. -
Review from p d.
Gardena, CA
12/28/2011
This is an average AYCE korean BBQ. The marinated meat is OK but not something that you would remember and want to eat again. The decor is old and rundown and needs a good cleaning. The only positive is their side dishes are tasty.
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Review from Christopher E.
Lawndale, CA
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
best deal around!
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Review from Michael K.
Redondo Beach, CA
7/28/2011
If you are fond of all you can eat Korean BBQ and you are in the southbay area craving some beef brisket and marinated chicken, well look no further..mapo is situated on crenshaw blvd in Gardena and it def satisfies the craving.
Look, I realize not everyone loves all you can eat and people want to pick items to grill or for the kitchen area to create you a tasty dish, dont come to this place for these options, you are better suited going to a sit down non-self grill korean bbq restaurant and getting all of your personal requests met.
The all you can eat here is honestly good, if you come with a party of 3 or more people its 9.99 for 3 choices of meat (chicken,beef brisket, pork belly) also included are small side salads that you can keep re-ordering as soon as you guzzle them down.
The place is not aesthetically pleasant, its a hole in the wall and the interior doesn't look all that appealing, but your taste buds will be satisfied after sitting around for about an hour self-grilling the bbq and conversing with friends.
Went in there a few weeks back with a few friends and the bill came out very cheap for the amount of food we ate, the service here is decent and its owned and operated by koreans.
Overall its a good joint for all you can eat korean bbq -
Review from Paul C.
Torrance, CA
5/16/2011
What set's Mapo apart from the other Korean BBQ places in Gardena/Torrance?
- Beef tongue: It's cut nice and thick and is super tender.
-Chicken: Amazingly good for a Krn BBQ place. Prepared with a garlic marinade.
-Brisket: High quality stuff. It's cut thicker than most places and is mostly meat, not fat. I never knew brisket could be so red.
-Marinated beef and Pork Bellies are also pretty good but aren't my favorite items.
THEIR SPICY SAUCE. It's not sriracha, and it has a nice smoked chipotle flavor. I've never been to a Krn restaurant that had a sauce like this. A lemon and a teriyaki style sauce are also provided.
But most importantly, it's the charcoal grill. It can get difficult to control the flames every once in a while but you get a much better flavor from their grills. Also, they have outdoor patio seating so the smoke won't smother you as much.
Service was fine whenever I went. They have a button to press whenever you need service. I got refills on meat, water, and side dishes promptly. -
Review from Maiko D.
Fremont, CA
12/30/2011
Rib is without bones, quality of meat is all good, portion of meat per plate is big. I will come back here. The portion of meat per plate is double compare to where I live (San Francisco Bay Area), but the price is the same... Now I envy people who live in Gardena!
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Review from Jay A.
Torrance, CA
1/28/2011
WARNING Not an Honest Place
(I wish I could give this a "no star" but yelp wouldn't let me do it)
Had dinner here with friends. Unfortunately Furusato was so packed that we yelped this restaurant and found this place. I have to be honest their pork was OK, BUT their service was slow and they charge extra for the rice paper (can u believe that?).
I left my phone there when we left. Didn't realize it until we got home. I tried calling the place but nobody answered. So we decided to go back to see if there was anybody there, but they were already closed. So instinctively I called my phone and I can hear it inside the restaurant. YES! what a relief! I can hear my friend's assigned ringtone and my wife's assigned ringtone when we called from their phones. So I left a note with my contact info and wrote that I left my cell phone in their restaurant. The next day, they called my wife and said that they were open and when she asked if they had found a black cell phone they said "yes." (What a relief!!! .... but let's read on)
When my wife and I came by to pick up the phone they denied that they have found a phone, and stated that there was a miscommunication when they had called and replied to the note. Tried calling my phone again but it just goes straight to my voice mail. I just charged my phone before we left to the restaurant that night and I'm pretty sure the battery still had some juice since it was not being used. So I'm quite sure that it was being shut off.
I'm guessing they figured out that it was an iphone 4 and decided to keep it for themselves. I know it was also my fault. I should've been more careful. But knowing for a fact that the phone was still inside, plus they called my wife and told us they had the phone in their possession, is just a petty shame that such an establishment would do this sort of thing.
Whatever happened to HONEST BUSINESS PRACTICE? or is the economy just driving people to do desperate measures for personal gain? I'll let you decide for yourself. But just make sure you don't leave anything in this place, because you're NEVER gonna get it back! -
Review from Aulani N.
Los Angeles, CA
4/3/2011
***PROS:
#1) Chicken (marinade is tasty and the meat itself is tender)
***CONS:
#1) Horrid service (although the restaurant wasn't at all crowded, we waited a long time just to get our first round of water, meat, & banchan. Imagine how long it took to get our refills).
#2) Having to pay $1 for each dish of rice paper (not to mention they
were super hard and cut into microscopic pieces) I have NEVER
been to an AYCE Korean BBQ restaurant that charges extra for rice paper. Seriously, meat costs more than rice paper. C'mon now!
#3) "C" grade by the Health Dept.
#4) a cockroach spotted crawling on the wall behind the cashier's desk. Ewww!
#5) Ambiance. (not sure when their last face lift was, but they are definitely due for one now. Walls and floors are sticky and dirty).
#6) The credit card/debit machine wasn't working (had to wait about 20 minutes for the owners to call in and fix the problem).
#7) Being lied to by the female owner (after finishing our first plate of chicken, we asked for another; however, she stated that they ran out of chicken. But- when the table across from us ordered chicken, she didn't tell THEM that they ran out. Hmmmm...maybe because they ordered several expensive combos, unlike us who ordered the $9.99 AYCE special? We complained about it so she came back with another plate of chicken for us and said that was really all they had left. Yeah right! If I had stayed there a little longer, I'm sure I would have witnessed her nose growing!
Definitely NOT coming back here again- even if my meal was FREE!!!!! People, you're better off eating at Furusato Korean BBQ, which is on the corner of Western and Gardena. At least you know the place is good when it's always packed and there's always people waiting outside to get seated. -
Review from Joe O.
Manhattan Beach, CA
Updated - 1/17/2011
No better Korean BBQ restaurant exists in the entire USA. This is truly authentic -- in natural live coals (ask for the patio), the best Kobe-style beef and other dishes, the friendly Korean staff and the ambiance. Everything about this is awesome.
As others note, like all authentic Korean BBQ restaurants, you will leave smelling like a smoke.
If you're both hungry and on a budget, your party can order all-you-can-eat for about $10 each.Listed in: My Neighborhood
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/7/2008
If you love authentic Korean BBQ -- with the best meat cooked over real lump charcoal and with the… Read more »
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Review from Dustin D.
Lakewood, CA
8/2/2011
I've only lived in socal for 2 months so far, but I've already had AYCE kbbq 7 times! im a huge fan of the $10 deals(you dont find these in norcal).
Mapo was definitely one of the better ones I have been too. For the $10 price you pay, the quality of the meats are great. All of the meats are nice and fresh. I've been to places that would give you brisket that you can tell was precut and frozen, becuase they are still stuck together. None of that stuff here. Marinaded chicken was delicious! And you cant forget about the porkbutt. It was my first time having pork butt at a korean bbq and I am hooked.
I seroiusly love the style of the grill here. They actually use wood to heat the grill and it really makes all the meats taste much much better. Brisket over an open fire is crazy good. It can be hard to manage at times because dripping fat and juices can cause fires, but the waiters/waitresses will periodically change the grill for you so u dont have to deal with a bunch of burnt stuff.
Many people complain about service here, but I had a very positive experiance. All of my sides were promtly refilled whenever asked, and there was no long waits for anything. I went on a Friday night too. -
Review from S N.
Long Beach, CA
12/4/2010
HORRIBLE! If I could give the place a negative rating I would. I never thought all you can eat korean bbq can be so bad.
My boyfriend and his friends decided to eat here after a few other AYCE spots were packed. No wonder this place was not packed on a Friday night. Everything was horrible, except for possibly the wait and the potato salad.
I remembered trying to eat here once before, but luckily it was so packed that we left. But this time, I actually got to experience how bad it was. We got the AYCE $9.99 deal with Brisket, Chicken and Pork Butt (?).
The side items they brought out were limited to kim chi, potato salad and regular salad. They never asked if we wanted anymore side items or wanted to refill them when we would ask for me.
As for the meat, they only brought out one kind at a time. And in between asking for more meat, I believed we actually waited a good 20 minutes, doing nothing, staring at the grill and waiting for the next batch of meat to cook. I was starting to feel like a beggar, which made me very offended as I was a paying customer.
The service was extremely poor. They were slow to bring out any water and did not refill it on a regular basis. In addition, they were never on top of refilling any side items or meat items. Also, rice and/or rice wraps were at an additional cost.
The grill we used was so unsafe and flimsy. I didn't feel protected at all and there were many times the flames were out of control and the smoke was choking me. If I had a respiratory problem, I think I would had have an asthma attack right then and there.
I stopped eating early and went to the bathroom and just sat far away from the grill. The waitress told the guys that they were getting their last plate of meat. I don't know if they understand the meaning of ALL YOU CAN EAT or if the title had a foreign meaning I didn't understand.
I wanted to get out as soon as possible. We gave them a very undeserved 10% tip. As we were leaving this horrible AYCE nightmare, the cashier chased after us and asked us if we can leave more tip... obviously we were dumbstruck and shocked at the audacity she had in asking us for more $$$ when they did not do anything to deserve the 10% in the first place. UGH... we're NEVER EVER going back there again, even if it's the last AYCE Korean BBQ left in the southbay area. -
Review from Connie L.
2/28/2011
This review is strictly on their Seasoned Beef and Brisket.
My dad's friend is the owner of this place, and so I don't know if the quality of meat he gives us is better than what normally goes out.
My family and I used to come here all the time for their Brisket. It was and still is my favorite brisket ever!
The place is not the nicest, but their meat quality makes up for it. -
Review from Denny V.
Cerritos, CA
10/15/2010
Believe me but the service here was very terrible. There were only 3 tables. However the table that had maybe 2 korean couples and 3 kids had the servers attention. Only one of the waitress was nice and helped us. The main lady mad dogged me every single time I asked for something. By the way I had the 15.99 AYCE BBQ. Consist of Brisket, pork belly, pork butt, chicken, tongue. The meat quality, I have to admit was better than most places. And the meat is cooked on a open flame which gave a interesting taste. Only reason I would come back here is probably because of the meat or have someone that speaks Korean. The sides were eh...the mash potato had seasoning. I recommend giving it a try if you don't believe me or the other 1-3 stars reviews for this restaurant.
p.s. the salad is way different than other AYCE KBBQs...they have a bean baste sauce on it...and they have a 9.99 ayce consisting of 3 meats. pork belly, brisket, and chicken,...i believe you have to have a minimum of 3 orders..so 3 people. -
Review from Serina T.
Northridge, CA
4/6/2010
There's nothing the bf and I love more than AYCE korean bbq but sometimes K-town is a bit of a trek for us. So we decided to try and see if we could find a closer place in Gardena. They have 3 options for AYCE. Unfortunately the cheapest $9.99 option is only good if you have 3 or more people and only includes 3 types of meat. So we opted for the second option which was $15.99 and included choice of 6 meats...brisket, pork belly, beef tongue, pork butt, chicken, and something else. The third option is $18.99 and includes even more choices.
When they first came by the waitress accidentally gave us someone else's order. Not sure which meat it was but it was sooo good! My bf put 8 pieces on the grill before they realized their mistake and took the rest of the plate away =( I wish he had put more pieces on the grill before they realized what happened cuz that was the best meat ever.
After that they brought around the first 3 dishes that we ordered for the AYCE...the brisket, the pork belly, and the beef tongue. OMG each plate had so much meat that after these 3 we were completely stuffed. Too bad too cuz I had wanted to try the other 3 meats that was part of the AYCE but we were just too full. The meat quality is very good. The brisket however was sliced too thick. I like it when it's thinner since it has more flavor. I guess they give you so much meat on each plate so they don't have to come by as often but then it sucks cuz you don't get to try everything.
The ban chan was mediocre as well. They had sliced radishes but no rice paper? And service is a bit slow. We had to flag their attention to get more kim chi and another pitcher of water. If just based on the quality of the meat, I would probably give this place 4 stars but I had to take off one star for the lackluster service.
Would we come back again? Maybe if we were desperate for AYCE kbbq and too lazy to drive then yeah. Otherwise, it's probably better just to drive a bit to ktown. -
Review from Ming-Jou C.
Torrance, CA
12/18/2008 ROTD 7/14/2009
GIT IN MAH BELLY!
*BURP*
3 plates of briskets, 7 slabs of pork belly, and various side dishes later, I was sleepy and content. And when the bill came, I was even happy about it. $43 for four people, and all that food? You cannot beat $9.99/person all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ.
Take a Korean or two with you (I did!) and you'll be good to go.
Service was awesome, the place was clean, food quality was good and side dishes were plenty. Love the salad and radish they give you to complement the meat, although I just think of them as space wasters, since I only have eyes for meat.
They recently went through a change of ownership, so I don't know what the difference is now, but as long as they're $9.99, I'll keep going back. They even have a plasma TV which was set to the Clippers game that went into OT at 106.
One of us came out a winner tonight, and it definitely wasn't the Clippers.Listed in: Torrance/Gardena - Hit it
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Review from Eli G.
12/14/2009 2 photos
Want super cheap AYCE KBBQ in the south bay? Then this is your place. Assuming you don't care for a large variety of meats that is. The $9.99 option will get you three meats, a beef, pork belly, and chicken. Since Chicken is stupid, we upgraded for a few dollars more and got a few extra meats.
Looking past the fairly ghetto gas grills, and average ban chan (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), the meat was good enough for the price. We didn't make it through all the options, but we definitely got our fill. There were no real standouts as well as no real let downs. We did manage to start one nice grease fire from the pork belly though, the BBQ ladies were on point with laying down some wet greens to absorb the fat.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
For 2-3 people, the AYCE might not be the best option since they give you pretty large piles of each meat. But I would definitely come back with a slightly larger group. -
Review from James R.
Gardena, CA
1/17/2011
One of the true authentic Korean BBQ place you could ever find in LA County. I love the Seasoned Beef here. This is their one of the specialty. Maybe that's why the place is called, the Mapo Seasoned Beef (in literal translation).
For the briskets, you could ask for lil thicker slice. If you prefer little chunkiness in brisket, ask the waitress if you could get it in not-so-thin brisket.
One thing this place lack is the "Ssam"...It just does not feel complete w/o the Ssam...But then, you could always ask for Romaine lettuce for Ssam. That's what I did before. ^^ -
Review from jimmy a.
Long Beach, CA
3/14/2010
I consider myself to be a AYCE KBBQ vet. There are simple rules to follow.
1.) Patience is a virtue - be patient as there are others who are JUST AS HUNGRY
2.) Be polite - they are serving you food, as I'm sure many wouldn't appreciate being called with finger snaps and stupid hand gestures
and
3.) Do not increase the burner beyond control
So me, the woman, and 2 brothers came through. I figure "hey its got great reviews lets check it out". So we bring our hunger and jump on the 405North. We get there and are delighted to see that they have their own karaoke bar as well! Sweeeeet!
We order the from the AYCE section, all getting "A" which is your standard brisket,chicken, and pork. The grill comes out and to my surprise, it isn't a stupid hot plate. It was a GRILL!!!!! Cool beans =)
We begin our feast and do not once, ever call the lady until the majority of our sides and meats are gone. I ask for a refill on their mixed spinach greens, pickled daikon radish, brisket, and water...I was given only the brisket....strike one..
So i stay patient and gobble up the meat....ask if we get a third option of meat, which in this case was the pork, as we got the previous two. I kindly ask for water, and soy sauce. The jalapeno they mixed in with the soy sauce was sort of off... She came back with pork only..... strike two....
So by this time another group comes in - they are obviously locals as they know the cooks and are greeted at the door. They ask for rice paper, which i didn't know if they had. Moments after they got their order put in, I ask for rice paper as well. They tell me straight out "no". Earlier I asked for Spinach but they told me they were out...thats fine....but when you tell me "no" that you didnt have rice paper, then moments later come back with some...it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
so i ended up eating all the food. And to be a punk...I flag them down and ask for one more plate, to which they are hesitant because food coma kicked in to 2 members of the party. But with revenge on my mind and heinosity in my heart - i break my cardinal 3 rules.
Coming from other places like Ma Deng Sae...I expected the attitude, and dirty looks, but atleast I got the food
Pro's:
Food was okay (when we got it)
Con's:
Very rude...
didn't pay attention to us....
didn't come back to offer refills or anything -
Review from Cassandra S. K.
Redondo Beach, CA
Updated - 11/4/2009
We decided we do not want to go here anymore.
They always push for the combo. Combo has very very little meat and is never satisfying. Combo forces you to have beer or Soju. We don't want that. We want to get home safe and sound and all in one piece!
Last time we were there, they did not want to serve AYCE. Their explanation? They didn't have enough meat. We really should've just left. I made my hubby stay, and the whole time we were not enjoying the food.
The JB Special is still good. But we cannot depend on their inconsistencies anymore. I personally feel offended because we were regulars and I feel like now they are trying to cheat us to make us spend more money by only making us choose the expensive option with tiny itty bitty meat. We will find some other AYCE KBBQ.Listed in: Gems in the Deep Deep…, Korean Meat
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/31/2009
This place, topped my list of KBBQ joint in South Bay.
AYCE KBBQ for 9.99/head if you just want… Read more »
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Review from TOni S.
Glendale, CA
6/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Apparently, this place used to be good so I decided to give it a go when I happened to be in the area after LAX pick up. The service was at best acceptable ( Ladies, it doesn't hurt to smile when, especially , your occupation is in service) and the restaurant was NOT clean (FYI they got health inspection grade C) but what really tainted my experience at Mapo was the quality of meat - after all, it is a BBQ house thus meat should be the most important component. We ordered a combination meal of Cha-dol-bae-gi (thinly sliced KBBQ meat), Ju-mul-luk (thicker slabs of rib meat above the bones, marinated), and pork belly. The cha-dol-bae-gi was okay but ju-mul-luk was NOT. It is supposed to be more marbleized and softer than other KBBQ cuts but theirs had this weird texture ( imagine chewing down on a sandy, grainy meat that has a body of sponge like texture) and absolutely zero flavor. NOT COOL. Pork belly (usually one of my favs) also lacked that chewiness and deep smoked natural flavor typically pork meat possesses. To top it all off, when our wait staff lady brought out our side dishes, one of the dishes had what it looked like a slab of dust from the air vent landed on top of the food. Ewww... yup, not cool again.
All in all, I'll take this as a lesson learned and to never to come back. -
Review from Lisa I.
Gardena, CA
10/29/2008
The meat itself was pretty good. We had the bulgogi and kalbee a la carte.
Unfortunately my friend and I were denied the all you can eat bbq. I guess you need 3+ people for it. Not only that, what kind of all you can eat place not have bulgoi or kalbee in the all you can eat menu?
I don't think I'll come back here again. -
Review from Juliana K.
Redondo Beach, CA
8/9/2010
I have never spent such little time at a Korean BBQ place.
My hubby and I were craving Korean BBQ but we didn't wanna drive all the way to Ktown, so we decided to search on Yelp for a Korean BBQ place nearby. Bad idea.
Their beef brisket is so dry and tough.
Their seasoned beef has probably only been seasoned for 30 mins.
There is no flavor, and the appetizer dishes were very unappealing.
Oh, this is also the first Asian restaurant I've been to that does not serve hot tea.
The only thing I recommend from this place is their shrimps. Yes. Shrimps. -
Review from Christina L.
Fullerton, CA
6/15/2009
Ive been going to Mapo BBQ since I was like 7?8?! It was probably one of the first KBBQ places Ive ever been to! Maybe its because I grew up eating this, that I love it so much - Mapo will always be one of my faves!
I guess they started doing an AYCE thing? Thats disappointing, I hope their quality is still up - as I havent been there in a little while...
Samgyupsal here is awesome. The place is clean and the people there are nice. I would HIGHLY recommend this place - it IS one of the best and its been around for a loooong time, time-proven! =)Listed in: Korean Barbecue ( KBBQ ) LA &…
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Review from Ergee A.
Long Beach, CA
1/3/2010
$10 All You Can Eat is for 3 or MORE PERSONS ONLY!!!
This was the mistake I made by going to this place with just my girl and I. Tsk, tsk. Why didn't you guys tell me!?!?
Cheapest thing on the menu was $14 - $15
So, expect to pay a lot if it's just the 2 of you dining.
One thing I didn't like was this bitchy old hag who took our order. I tried to ask how much meat a particular order came with and she responded with an impatient, bitchy, tone.
"One ohdah peh pehson!"
I was like, "What the hell is up with this lady?".
I felt so intimidated and rushed that I just picked out what seemed appealing to me based on the description.
"Korean marinated beef" ($20)
My girl decided to order the "Korean marinated pork" ($16)
Now, our waiter was this young lady, and she was VERY nice. So, I gotta give credit to them for that.
Also, the Korean marinated beef was delicious. However, I can't say the same for the pork version. It was just so-so.
Our orders came with the usual sides and a big bowl of salad. The salad was good as well.
In the end, our total was $39 since my girl ordered a bowl of rice, but I still decided to give them $6 for tip.
$46 for some overpriced, mediocre, Korean BBQ.
Cliffs
- bitchy old hag of a hostess but very nice waiter
- over priced if you're not getting the $10 AYCE (3+ persons only!!!)
- beef and salad was good
- pork sucked balls
final thought...
I payed way to damn much for this, but will consider going back with AT LEAST 3 people to enjoy the $10 AYCE price. Only then will I come up with a review that's legit 'cause my major complaint here has been the price. -
Review from Shannon L.
Torrance, CA
7/5/2010
My friends decided last minute to go to a KBBQ place that they have been going to for a long time. My boyfriend and I had been meaning to go with them at some point so we decided why not? When we got to the restaurant the first thing we heard were angry korean people screaming in the outside eating area.
We sat in the outside area because one of our friends suggested that the food tastes better outside. Again, Why not? The waitress was quick to seat us, but slow to take orders and get us the food. We were the only other party in the restaurant at the time, given the exception of the table of older people who looked like they were well into their meal.
Our party of 14 decided to get the 15.99 AYCE set. We ordered Seasoned beef and pork belly to start. Took them about 15 minutes to get one of the plates out, and we had finished that plate by the time we got the 2nd plate. The meat looked like pretty good quality, but it was bland tasting at best.
I really wanted a plate of bulgogi because that is generally all I ever eat. That plate cost me 19.99 extra but i agreed anyways... It was not worth the 19.99.
We ran out of water relatively quickly. The waitresses took forever to bring us more. We resorted to pouring ice in our cups and melting it near the grill. In order to finally get what we needed, we had to send both of the people in our party who spoke korean to the front to ask for us because they obviously misunderstood our English.
The bottom of the grill is not protected. I was wearing shorts when we were eating and at one point or another I had to get out from the table to use the bathroom or talk to the people at the front. Each time I did, some part of my leg hit the underside of the grill. I have burns on my knee from that. The placement or the depth of the grill is relatively bad...
When the water supply had run out i found myself with such a bad headache from either the food or the smoke that I decided to pay and leave my party because I wasn't feeling good. My boyfriend tried paying with his American Express card up front, but the machine wouldn't read it. So I ended up paying with my Visa. This has nothing to do with his card, he bought gas before the dinner with his card and since he hated the food so much afterwards he bought a subway sandwich with his card.
We both agreed after eating at this place and having a horrible experience, and eating at koji a few months prior to this we will NEVER eat korean bbq again...
Pros:
1. The meat looked like fresh and good quality
Neutral:
1. Bulgogi was good, but we had to pay extra for it
Cons:
1. Service was extremely slow
2. AYCE food was relatively bland
3. Bulgogi was NOT AYCE even though it is at nearly every other place i have either been to or heard of
4. Charcoal kept landing on my plate from the grill
5. The ventilation was not good even though we were outside
6. The staff was relatively unfriendly
7. Not enough water
8. I burned my knee on the grill -
Review from Lovely S.
Fullerton, CA
10/25/2007 2 photos
Special J.B.
Special J.B. Special J.B.
Special J.B. Special J.B. Special J.B.
Are you ready for the meat heaven?
Go Special J.B (called 'Jae B Choo Ri)!!! You won't be sorry.
It's in the top of the menu w/o price. $23.99 per 1 serving as of 10/25/07. Buttery beef just melting in my mouth..... -
Review from sabrina l.
Los Angeles, CA
4/1/2008 1 photo
J.B. is good but everything else was OK....
The rice wrapper was over steamed and mushy.... -
Review from Austin P.
San Francisco, CA
1/21/2011
I've been going to this place for at least six years. I'm Korean and for my other Korean friends and I, if we wanted Korean barbecue, this was our spot. We've given them a ton of business over the years and I've never had a complaint...until last night.
I invited a group of ten friends to come and join me for a going away dinner. These were some of my gaming buddies and about 2/3 of the group was non-Korean. Unfortunately, they thought this was an opportunity to treat us differently than if I'd come with a group of my Korean friends.
1) Didn't bring out any dduk (rice cake slices) until I had to ask for it.
2) When I ordered sangyupsal (pork belly) they brought out a plate of pork BUTT which is a cheaper and tried to pass it off as pork belly. They wouldn't take it back and told us to eat it because the pork belly wasn't sliced up yet.
3) Ordered joomaluk and it wasn't seasoned at all.
4) At the end of the dinner no rice and dwengjang jigae (fermented soybean soup) was offered to us.
This was a Thursday night, they weren't packed so there was no excuse for the "mistakes" or lack of service. I was obviously pissed off and my suspicions were confirmed when I walked to the restroom I passed by our waitress and she wouldn't even look at me.
My non-Korean friends didn't know any better but I was so embarassed and disgusted that they would try to pull this kind of shit on us. Fuck Mapo. -
Review from troy h.
11/2/2009
I'm a believer!
One of the best ayce I've been to in awhile! Actually probably the best.
From the moment we arrived until we left, the owner was very accomodating and nice. Reminds me of the owner of Shik Do Rak in La.
There's 3 ayce combos based on meat choices. And there's. Handful of regular combos.
Kalbi: fantastic! Barely marinated, marbeled, and cut into nice bite size strips.
Brisket: great! Thinly sliced, it only needs. Second or two to cool.
Pork belly: lightly marinated and not just all fat. Tasty, but beware of small cartlidge and bone pieces. But still great.
Marinated chicken: dark meat, my fav! Frickin tender. And the marinade totally carmelizes on the chicken when cooked.
Its only open for dinner.
Beer n wine. And they have a karaoke place adjacent to them. -
Review from Jeremy Y.
Bat Cave, NC
Updated - 10/3/2009
We have been back to this place a few times and I would recommend get the all-you-can-eat since the portions on the a la carte were not that large
The "JB" special, richly marbled beef from the inside ribs were superb and tasted super premium.
Most important, opt to sit outside if possible. The grills are coal outside but gas inside and you can taste the difference. We had only sat inside the first few times we were here but the last time we were here and the lady asked us whether we wanted inside or outside, the little Korean girl signaled to me to pick outside with a nod of the head. I owe her one!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/14/2009
Excellent, K-town quality AYCE in the South Bay.
Their $9.99 AYCE requires a minimum of 3 people but… Read more »
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Review from Grace C.
Los Angeles, CA
10/23/2008
Came here on a Tuesday night with non-koreans (and non-asians, too).
We had absolutely incredible service. Maybe the best I've ever had at a Korean restaurant. Period.
I don't know if it was because it was a weeknight or what, but the waitresses were so attentive and nice. The one ajumma was so motherly and cute, and said things like "Don't forget to eat the steamed egg!" or "The chef marinated your meat very special just for you!"
You can sit outside (and grill with charcoal) or sit inside (and grill with gas).
The meat was good and all you can eat. The banchan was good. The outdoor seating was good. And I especially LOVED the "moo-ssam" -- thinly sliced and pickled daikon radish to wrap up your piping hot meat.
The ajumma said to come back and bring more friends. I definitely will. -
Review from Penn T.
El Segundo, CA
6/21/2009 2 Check-ins Here
2nd time there... their Special JB is definitely the cut to get. Their short ribs without bone was pretty good too. Had the beef brisket and spicy pork as well, that was just okay but I definitely could have used more orders of their Special.
Service was very friendly. -
Review from Clifford Y.
Garden Grove, CA
4/21/2010
We ordered the AYCE for 15.99 each. we asked for their beef brisket and their main steak beef. The design of their grills is obviously made for their specialty steak meat, and this meat is pretty good. Thing is, we're usually a fan of the beef brisket, but their grills make it really difficult to cook this.
The side plates were pretty good.
The service was pretty bad, they were nice, but def not attentive enough. My father comes here regularly with his coworkers and he told me that their service is always not that great.
Because it was just the gf and I, we didn't get the 10$ a person ayce deal. maybe it's bcus of this deal, this place has such a high rating on yelp. For the amount we had to pay, I'd much rather stick with the ayce krn bbq places at home (garden grove).Listed in: Korean BBQ!
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Review from Dan P.
4/21/2008 2 Check-ins Here
Mapo BBQ is an excellent Korean BBQ restaurant in Gardena. It is by far the best Korean BBQ in the South Bay.
The best dish on the menu is the "Special J.B." which is "jae-bi choo-ri". It's small blocks of beef that are full of marble and flavor. The cut is great and the quality is excellent.
The owner is sometimes in the kitchen but he also walks around the restaurant as well. You can identify him because as other posters have said, he's a really cool guy that wears sunglasses even inside the restaurant. He actually wears glasses sometimes too so he has sunglasses + glasses on every now and then if he has to read something.
The all you can eat beef is great. The variety is excellent and the cuts of meat are good.
There is outside and inside seating. If you sit outdoors, you will cook over wood chips which makes the meat taste better. Indoor seating is by gas grill only (good but not as good as wood chips).
The service is always excellent for me. I have never encountered a rude waitress or waiter. -
Review from Jason L.
12/18/2009
This is the Arnie Morton's of KBBQ! I have finally found the best Korean BBQ in LA!! Well technically its the south bay but its close enough to LA (15min no traffic)! This place has the best quality meat hands down. The JB special is the bomb! Just melts in your mouth. The marbling on the meat with the special marinate is just heaven. Honestly I am the "Ktown guide" and I have tried them all and nothing tops the JB special here. Its well worth the money. You HAVE to try it.
So when you go there try to go outside since they use charcoal. The taste of freshly cooked meat over charcoal is the bomb! Service is attentive and good. The interior reminds me a lot of Korea. I feel like Im back at the motherland and the taste just amplifies it. Their AYCE is good too. They use quality meat which is surprising considering the low price of AYCE. I dont know how they can make money using this good quality meat but they do it. There is a reason why they are always crowded during dinner time. But its well worth the wait! Oh and the other person who said no to soju or beer.. Ill just say "NO COMMENT". LOL! You can always opt for soft drinks... this applies at any Korean BBQ... -
Review from MR E.
Los Gatos, CA
10/9/2007
MEAT MEAT MEAT!!! MEat lovers paradise.
I never knew there were so many different cuts and preparations of beef. This place is a cook at your table Korean BBq house, so i would not wear your sundays finest outfit. You are going to be smelling like meat when you leave..yum! At the same time you are going to leave full and happy, at least i did. I would recommend getting one of the specials on the menu. Most come complete with an assortment of meat at a good price. Most everything is in Korean, so either come with someone that speaks or understands korean, or come prepared knowing what you want. I don't speak a lick of Korean, but i was able to communicate with the waitresses, albeit very slowly.
The owner of the place is pretty personable, you can find him mingling and drinking with some of the patrons. I think i even saw Nicolas Cage there...haha.
5 stars all the way!! YUMMM Can't wait to go back! -
Review from Shirley M.
Downey, CA
2/14/2011
Horrible horrible service!
It is such a shame that I have to give this place such low rating. The food here is delicious!! This was the first Korean BBQ I had ever been to and I have been all over So. Cal looking for a place where the Beef Tongue or briskets taste the same or better. I have yet to find a place :(
But why the low rating if the food is so tasty? Well, I have been to this place a good 10 times. I kept coming back regardless of the horrible service well, because like I mentioned before, the food is amazingly good. However, I finaly gave up on this place after serveral really rude service. One time I came with my entire family (party of 8+) you would think they would treat us nicely since we all ordered the all you can eat BBQ plates (about $20ish?? each). The waitress took forever to bring us water despite asking her like 4 times. When the food finaly arrived we asked for extra rice paper since I knew the little stack of rice paper was not enough for all 8 of us. Of course, it took me to get up and personaly ask the person behind the front counter for rice paper. A while later we asked for more beef. Again, I had to get up and ask for it myself. To make the story short. The entire night I had to get up to ask for different things. Since I was paying and was at this point super angry at their service. I decided to give them a $2 dollar tip. Mind you, my family critizises how I often "over tip". I know $2 is insulting for a party of 8. But did they really think they deserved anything from me? I mean, korean BBQ you cook your own food plus I had to get up a good 6 times to get my own stuff. What did the waitress do? Take my order? That's why I gave her $2! Anyway, I was going to my car when this lady comes running after me telling me I need to tip more. I looked at her and said I tip depending on the service you give me. She looked at me and walked away saying God knows what in Korean.
On another visit with a friend. The exact thing happened to me. Only that this time I literally had to wait a good 30 minutes for my beef. I was so angry I left no tip. (I know, I know, why do I keep coming back...). No lie, a lady comes running after me tellign me I HAVE TO tip. Really? It's a LAW that you have to tip?? Why should I give her any tip when these people make you feel unwelcomed. As if I'm begging them for food. HELLLO! I'm paying for the food! So treat me respectively!
Ugghhh... Beware! Please don't get chased by angry Korean ladies telling you that YOU HAVE TO TIP! Even when they gave you zero service ! lol -
Review from Kel D.
Cerritos, CA
4/2/2010
two stars for this place! I am shocked how this place got an average of 4 stars!!!
The chimchi was ok to yucky.
The meat was ok.
The bbq set up was just wrong. The grill kept on slipping. The table was so small, that it started super heating the plates. I ended up burning my hand on one of the plates! The vent wasnt working, so we were so full of smoke!
If not for the awesome company I woul have been a completely bad night for us!
PS
Thank you Leon for passing me that hot plate! I almost lost all of my appetite due to the second degree burns on my hand! At least I will have a big keloid on my hand to remind me of the I survived bonus dinner. -
Review from Petricia W.
Los Angeles, CA
4/20/2008
This place is now my favorite Korean BBQ restaurant. I don't care much for the aesthetics or lack of parking, but they have some of the tastiest marinated meat I ever tried (and I used to live in K-Town).
Service was excellent too, although if you're a first timer and asked too many questions, they would start treating you like a tourist. Didn't try the JB, but their bulgogi & galbi are mouthwateringly good.Listed in: Top Restaurants
