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Palace BBQ Buffet
Categories: Restaurants Korean Restaurants Buffets Korean, Buffets
1092 E El Camino RealSte 1
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 554-9292
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 10 am - 3 pm
Tue-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Mark T. said: "Come here for the all-you-can-eat, which is only offered during dinnertime, 'nuff said. I've come here twice, once during the all-you-can dinnertime special, and another time for lunch. I give the all you can eat experience 5 stars,…" read more »
1308 reviews for Palace BBQ Buffet
Review Highlights
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1308 reviews in English
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Review from Lawrence L.
Covina, CA
It's a Korean BBQ AYCE buffet, doesn't that say it all? What it is, is within 5 minutes of my sisters house where we were staying for the holidays, and with a 4 star average with around 1300 reviews, this is it for dinner -- especially when we're all tired and hungry from the drive from SoCal and we don't have any reservations anywhere on Xmas eve. Heck, one year we wound up at Carl's Jr. and this is definitely a step up from that...
I did spend about 10 minutes beforehand reading the reviews before we showed up so my experiences with Palace were in line with expectations. Sure it's a little pricey at around $25 a head but given the choices (open, no reservations required, AYCE, within a 5 minute drive). I don't get some of the 1 star reviews: this place has been here for a while, you came anyway, if you took the time to post a bad review, shouldn't you take the time to read some of the reviews? There was about a 15 minute wait for the 4 of us when we arrived and that was ok. Yes, there was a disinterested perfunctory hostess with glasses working that night but so what? We had to wait for a table to open up and we could see that from where we were...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Once we were seated, a waitress came and took our drink orders and the away we went, straight to the back to take a look at the selections. The nice thing is that I don't need to argue or fight with anyone else about what each of us wanted, just get up and get it...
The quality is fine. It's not mindblowing or anything, but you get what you want, as much or as little as you want, when you want it, just help yourself. There was a choice of no less than a dozen different meats including shortribs, pork belly, and shrimp. There were also cooked foods like fried chicken drummettes, and egg rolls, which appealed to the instant gratification part of my hunger. The sushi rolls didn't really appeal to me. There were other salty, spicy veggies like green beans, spinach, bok choy, tofu, bean sprouts, and noodles, the selection was pretty varied...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The service is ok. They came by to refill our beverages and change out our grills...
Once we were finished, we were gutted and sitting around like we were about to enter a food coma. We certainly did smell like BBQ, but I was happy and content. We took care of the task at hand and had a reasonably satisfying Xmas eve dinner together without too much forethought...
Three and a half stars, but four stars is close enough, and yes I would return under similiar circumstances or if someone else wanted to... -
Review from Shawn S.
San Jose, CA
Met some friends for dinner and I thought the food was just average. There was a decent selection of meat however most of what I tried lacked flavor. The Korean bbq short ribs were a disappointment as well, no flavor.
The sushi didn't look like anything I'd touch so I played it and avoided it....typically I don't eat sushi at buffets.
Overall, my experience was just OK. -
Review from David T.
San Jose, CA
A bit expensive for a person of my eating capacity in that I can probably get just as full and satisfied for the same price at a sit down korean restaurant, but for those of you can eat your own weight. This is the place to be!
All their meats are well marinated with just the right balance of meaty flavor and sweetness. Any screw up in the taste would be the griller's fault. For those of you who would like the full experience, wrap the goods in lettuce, pop a couple slices of garlic, your choice of kimchi, and if you're feeling lucky, a jalapeno or two then dip that bad boy into the brown sauce. Finally, make sure to end your mean with the rice tea. It does wonders to a full and burning stomach.
My only real critique is the lack of access to their soda fountain. Especially when the wait staff is too swamped for prompt refills. -
Review from Leslie Y.
I got 2 gift certificates for Christmas and have been trying to plan this feast for some time.....finally got a chance this evening.....
We got there at about 6pm, hoping to beat traffic and the crowd...we did...thank goodness for carpool and patience....
It was a good 50 min drive....well worth it....
There wasn't a wait so we were seated immediately....the tables have a bbq center so all you have to do is order drinks, tea and water are free....sodas 2.50 ....
The selection is great, they have a cooked food table, rice and the noodles and all types of veggies...
Then they have the sushi and fruit table....
Last but not least, the meat and seafood selection is the best, the meats they have are marinated to great taste....
What else is there to say about this buffet place, service was good, also, don't forget to change your bbq pan as it does get burnt while cooking....easy lift and change...
Great place for family and friends to get together...will definately return... -
Review from Matt V.
Sunnyvale, CA
Man, this is a really good place, if only in a stuff-your-face-with-as-much-as-possible sort of way.
The restaurant is quite spacious, with plenty of seating, so the waits aren't usually that bad. The ambiance is good enough; there are marble tables with red-cushioned chairs, and grills on the table for preparing your meats.
The meats are pretty good. Nothing exceptional, but then, I wouldn't expect the highest quality meats to appear in an all-you-can-eat setting. The marinades are also good, but not great (see note before about it being all-you-can-eat).
Some of my favorite flavors are the bulgogi (marinated BBQ beef), the daeji bulgogi (spicy BBQ pork), and the kalbi (short ribs -- EDIT: according to other reviewers, this dish has evidently been discontinued at Palace BBQ. That's really unfortunate). You can also get some appetizer sorts of things, like egg rolls, kimchi, etc.
Service is decent, although it can sometimes take a while for your water to be refilled.
But for what it is, it is really good. In my opinion, it's one of the better buffets and one of the better Korean BBQ places in Silicon Valley. Regardless of whether you agree with me or not, one thing is for sure: you certainly won't leave here hungry! -
Review from David C.
San Jose, CA
Dinner! So good! This is as close as you're gonna get to Socal Korean BBQ in Norcal.
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Review from Keith E.
Santa Cruz, CA
This was my second trip there in 5 years.
I really wanted it to be better but here's my take.
It's the most expensive buffet I have ever been to. The meat quality was very low and most of the (few) items just not my thing, but I'm not Korean. Tripe, tongue, gizzards, end trails? Who knows? The sushi was just terrible. There wasn't very much to choose from at all.
The service even though buffet was just plain rude.
I gave it 2 stars only because of my lovely company.
Bombay Gardens across the street is 100 times better. -
Review from Cristy L.
Fremont, CA
This used to be my family's favorite place to go because it's a really good deal for all you can eat short ribs. Now they don't have the nice galbi but only the LA galbi.
I went there for lunch yesterday and was disappointed. No rib, no seasoned crab, no yellow croaker, and the japchae was strange it wasn't traditional.
We probably won't be going back because it's not worth the money anymore. -
Review from Paul K.
San Jose, CA
This place is good for non-Koreans (my experience) and Koreans, judging by the sheer number of people during a recent visit.
Some advice: go hungry. It isn't the cheapest place for lunch, but the fact you can stuff yourself silly more than makes up for it.
Bulgogi: great
Spicy pork: standout
Tongue: ok
Pork belly: good stuff
Sushi rolls: unremarkable
Panjun (spelling?): very good
Soup: good good good
Kimchi: average to good -
Review from Lyna K.
San Jose, CA
Large place many meat options. I've been twice and I like the BBQ portion of the buffet, but the regular foods are lacking. I think next time I'll choose a non buffet style place because I like korean food, just not out of a buffet.
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Review from Ray V.
San Jose, CA
This place is always good and never disappoints, Pork Belly and Squid + Kim Chi are my favorite combinations. Place is big, never have to wait for a table, at least during lunch time, I'll come back here every time I'm craving Korean BBQ in massive amounts, you'll end up smelling like BBQ. Plenty of parking and for the price the food isn't bad no sirrebob. The only one thing I don't like about the place is the mean faces you get from all the waitresses and front desk chick. I've yet to have a drink here, but I surely will.
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Review from Daniel N.
San Diego, CA
Only come here for lunch, dinner is too pricey for my taste (aka I don't think I could eat what I would pay). Whenever I go here there's a lot of planning involved. This a includes a couple things: 1. Getting a good sized meal in me, early in the am, to expand my stomach. 2. Going to the gym to do some squats, deadlifts, etc to work up my apatite and metabolism.
You may think you're gonna make money off me when I first enter the establishment but think again. I'll be eating here sometime this week...awww ya. -
Review from William Q.
Los Angeles, CA
This place is darn expensive and it's only because they have a monopoly since they're essentially the only kbbq place in the area.
I've been to many kbbq places in la and they are much cheaper with a much wider selection than here, and much better service, even places that would cook for you for prices ranging from 7.99-19.99 (max for dinner).
I guess this place could charge more for the other things like soup and eggrolls and whatnot, but I assume most people come here for the kbbq, and it's decent, nothing wrong with the beef, just that the price doesn't match what I've tried at other places in socal.
I just don't feel getting my money's worth when I go here unless I eat until the next Twilight flick comes out -
Review from Tanuj M.
San Ramon, CA
Soooooo muchhhh meat!!! This place was pretty dam amazing considering it was all you can eat at lunch for only $14. Not to mention, the meats were all pretty tasty and well marinated. The buffet had the usual selection of meats typical of most KBBQ places as well as some seafood, noodle type dishes and appetizers like spring rolls etc. (although it seemed like the meats were by far the most popular - my favorite being the spicy pork which was amazing). The service here was also pretty good and the only real negative aspect would probably be the size of the grill. We had a table for 6 and the grill wasn't really big enough - in comparison to the other KBBQ places I've been to.
That being said, on the whole it was a great meal and well worth the drive down to Sunnyvale :) -
Review from Joyce B.
Came here on Sat for lunch and there's literally no line. The place is a lot less packed than I had expected.
So they set up the grill for you and you grab plates of marinated meat, including spicy pork, krn bbq beef, tripe, squid, chicken, pork belly, etc. I like the beef and spicy pork bc they're pretty flavorful. The other ones a bit bland.
As for other food, they have a variety of kimchi, fried rice, tempura yams, tempura sushi, bean sprouts, pretty typical. The only thing for lunch is that they don't have kalbi! I think it's dinner only.
Overall, plus tax and tip for lunch is about $20. The quality of the meat is not as good but it's all you can eat, so I think it's fairly decent. -
Review from Jason C.
Los Altos, CA
I guess if you're looking for all you can eat meat and don't care about quality, or selection for that matter, you can come here. I don't understand how they don't have regular kalbi. They only have LA-style. Food quality isn't that great, but it's edible. I guess what else do you expect from an all you can eat joint. But let's be honest here, the eating experience here isn't something I do for joy.
As with all my 1-star reviews, doesn't mean there aren't far worse out there. There are, truly inedible places with gross food. This place doesn't qualify for that. But I don't eat or review gross and inedible places. -
Review from Julia L.
San Jose, CA
Holy kreiky! Its meats galore, all you can eat, $13/weekday lunch.
Its like a DIY Pampas. Huge selection.
My favorites were bbq beef, spicy pork, octopus and tripe (I did not expect to like tripe as much as I did).
They also had pork belly (pretty good), pork tongue (kind of sucked, and the only disappointment of the day), squid (good), brisket (ok) and some other stuff.
Their kimchi side dishes were pretty good, especially the cucumber one.
I know people dock them for not offering the short ribs as part of the buffet, but I couldn't have fit it in anyway. -
Review from C W.
Sierra Vista, AZ
Rude, pushy Koreans galore.
Make sure you show up with at least two hours to spare otherwise the "friendly" staff will not seat you. We showed up at 2:05 for the 3:00 buffet and the surly heifer at the door bluntly stated "We closed." No "Sorry, come back at 5:00 for dinner.", no eye contact, no smile, just "We closed". I spent five years living in Korea so I am used to the way Koreans treat outsiders, so I brush it off and talk my wife into waiting until 5PM.
We show back up and get seated by the same cold robot and try to enjoy the buffet. No such luck, the meat was fatty and stringy and I'm pretty sure the staff were having a bad day or were all North Koreans angry at the world. I swear that they were angry that people were actually eating at their restaurant.
Good luck on getting drink refills or your burner plate changed out. Also after about 45 minutes your "nice" host will drop the ticket at your table and subtly let you know that you have had all that you can eat at their buffet and you need to hurry up. I was almost tempted to stay longer to see if I could escalate the situation them shouting "YOU PAY NOW!" and cursing at us in Korean. You'd think that people would be happy to have a job in this economy.
My wife says she will never eat Korean food again and I had to spend time reassuring her that Koreans are friendly people once they get to know you. Other than that you are just another "poroner" (foreigner) or a wae-gook-in (foreigner in Korean lit. outside country person).
Bottom line. Mediocre food, pushy, rude staff with a DGAS attiitude. -
Review from Larry P.
Alameda, CA
If you're hungry and like Korean BBQ, this is the place. They have a great spread of beef, pork, shrimp, squid - all marinated with Korean spices. You BBQ the meat yourself on your table. There is also a great spread of salads and side dishes.
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Review from Diane N.
You will not get quality meat or marinades here. What you will get is all-you-can-eat Korean-style BBQ, at reasonable prices, within buffet-grade limits. I admire the extensive selection of meats and pickled veggies, as well as the side offerings of rice and noodles. Compared to the average price of a plate of meat at a regular Korean establishment, you will definitely get your bucks worth. But if you are having a serious craving for Korean food, then it may not hit that craving with full force. Nevertheless, in the world of buffet options, this place can be fun as a whole family can nestle into a table, cooking their own meats, and leave very likely full.
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Review from Eri O.
Sunnyvale, CA
I really love this place. We've been coming here for years....but I wish they still had the rolled beef....
I think the ladies who work here are very cute! The owner is always nice and greets us with a smile. -
Review from Y W.
Riverside, CA
Large selection of food, more than most AYCE places, since it is a buffet.
They replaced galbi with LA galbi, which is why I'm docking a star off. The wait wasn't too bad, since we got there before they opened for dinner. Got seated quickly, ate to our stomach's content and left satisfied. -
Review from Susan L.
So many high reviews for this place! Had to come try it out. Came here with my colleagues for our monthly dinner! Food variety was decent. I only hit the meat section once we landed. Pricey indeed. Approx $30 per person. The seasoned food was delicious. They give pieces of garlic. I was hoping that they handed out butter like they do at the Chinese places. My Korean friend ordered us the special sesame sauce that we use to dip the non-marinated meats. All in all...a decent place....I would bump the score another point if the price was more affordable. I don't think I ate $30 worth of meat. I know some folks complain about it being oily...but I'm down for the oil at places like this. I felt that it was just right...otherwise it would taste flavorless.
FYI- free meals on your bday. Too bad it was near none of our bdays. -
Review from Tommy B.
San Jose, CA
What a F**kin disappointment. This place is an embarrassment to the name of South Bay Korean food... and what makes it worse is how popular and widely known this place is.
If you just want quantity for a reasonable buffet price, then sure this place will do. This is the only reason I'm giving this place 2 stars instead of 1.
The marinated meat always tastes like it has been sitting out in the islands for too long, or had just been unfrozen. Nothing fresh in sight... The meat is of very low quality... whoever their meat supplier is, they should think about changing... or at least pay for better quality.Listed in: Korean food du jour
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Review from John E.
We went here for lunch yesterday and I really liked it. First off, the place is huge--there's quite a few booths so you don't have to wait around if you get there after 12 pm.
It's also very clean and well organized. You sit down, order drinks, and then get up to grab plates. You can take as much as you want and they have a great selection of raw meats as well as rice, egg rolls, and other dishes.
After you've grabbed your Plate O' Meat, you cook it right at your table. Nice stuff. Thanks to my friend Art for doing the cooking. He did it just right.
The spicy pork was my favorite though the beef and the brisket were pretty good too. I did not try the gizzard or tongue but Art seemed to enjoy it.
All in all, it's a very good place for lunch! -
Review from Matt G.
Looking at the grill on my table with a cast-iron grill, a burner and a powerful overhead fan, I yelled to the nice Korean waitress,
"I can't cook!" (Sounds like a personal problem)
Waitress with a puzzled look: "WTF!"
As a father, I'm a decent chef. But I don't go to many Korean BBQ restaurants and my inexperience definitely shows. Also I didn't know what to expect at a place like this.
For $13.95, I get a choice of uncooked and marinated Beef, Beef short ribs, spicy pork, chicken, pork belly, tripe, and few other seafood items and bring them over to my table and watch and hear the sizzle of the meat(s) being cooked.
As my meat is being cooked, I was gnawing on the mediocre fried rice, chow mein, sushi, jap chae (recommended), various soups, sides and salad i.e. Kim chi. My meal: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I often worry about the time length of the meat being cook. The thin slices of meat cook really fast. It only takes 2-3 minutes per side.
I cooked every single uncooked item available and they were really good and cooked perfectly. Thanks to me for my hard work.
My first experience of a Korean BBQ was fun. But don't expect me to compete in Kitchen Stadium anytime soon. -
Review from Henry C.
San Jose, CA
This place is not a cheap buffet. The food is good but all the meat tastes the same after awhile, it's just spicy vs. not. The variety of food was good for a taster like myself. But quality has to improve slightly. They had their customers waiting around for refill of food during lunch hour. That was poor managing skills on someones' part.
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Review from Harriet W.
San Francisco, CA
Came here with my boyfriend and his friends since they love to eat, especially Korean BBQ.
It was definitely worth the trip to Sunnyvale just for this place because everything was delicious. I loved all the meet, and even though I don't like spicy food much, the spicy bulgogi was perfect.
I wish the prices were cheaper, but I guess it will do, because Korean BBQ are usually expensive. I felt I should've ate more just because it was a buffet and I always want to eat my moneys worth.
And I just found out that they give you the meal for free on your birthday, so I definitely want to go back for that. -
Review from Eric L.
Morgan Hill, CA
The food and service was very good. The quality of the meats and marinades are the only reason I don't rate this place a five. I ate there today with my boss and coworker for the first time. The sides were very good. We grilled the pineapple last and that was a great finisher. Not a Korean tradition, more Brazillian, but the results were the same. Excellent. The food was really good, but not quite great which would be required for a 5 star rating.
I don't know why other reviewers thought the place was too smoky or that you left smelling of nothing but smoked meat, but let me assure you that on a Saturday night when it was packed there was not a problem with ventilation. We will definately be back after I take them to BeQue which I think is a little nicer, better quality meats, and even five or six dollars cheaper for an AYCE Korean BBQ. This place is definately worth checking out. -
Review from April F.
Salinas, CA
This place was well worth the drive from Salinas. We have a Koren BBQ about 10 miles away, but a basic meal with two dishes and an appetizer will run you $55, so we decided to check out this AYCE option. We were NOT disappointed.
They had every type of meat you could imagine, including pig tongue. (Yes, the boyfriend ate this.)
You can eat your weight in short ribs if you choose to, which is what everyone seemed to be doing. The spicy pork was great. There were tons of side dishes and a few kinds of rice. Lots of kimchee and pickled stuff to add. I skipped the "sushi" and Chinese food, as it all looked tired.
We will definitely go back. Maybe this time I won't have to steal the garlic and jalapenos from the serving tray -- they never want to give this stuff to the blonde girl. When I take it, they giggle at me and smile. -
Review from Maggie C.
Oh my.
I thought korean bbq was bad in San Diego, boy was I wrong. I didn't realize how good I had it when I was chowing down on korean bbq in LA until I tried this place.
The only thing I could taste in the marinade of the bulgolgi was sugar. In fact, they were giant pieces, not cut to the correct thin slices bulgolgi usually is!
Spicy pork was blah, seaweed salad was obviously dyed with neon green food coloring, over MEH. -
Review from Eric H.
El Segundo, CA
All you can eat is an okay concept....and this place used to have fairly high quality food. But it has since become lackluster in the mediocrity of the preparation, and the management/hosting has becoming amazingly crappy. With 45 minutes to close, after having called while driving nearby we were told that last call happened at 9:30pm, and close at 10pm. We arrived at 9:15pm and were treated to barrell shaped thick glassed angry Korean woman. Do NOT show up in the last hour and a half of their lunch or dinner services or you will get surly bitchiness. Go for lunch and go early and pay what the food and service is worth. Dinner should be spent almost anywhere else.
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Review from Sappho C.
Gilroy, CA
Well, by far the best korean BBQ experience ever!! We went for the lunch on a saturday and it wasn't packed because we only had 1 hour left before they completely stopped serving. 1 hour is plenty and so we got seated right away and we went to grab our food. Food was very yummy and selection is ok. The best part about this entire visit is.... I SAW BJ PENN! That's right! The famous UFC fighter was eating korean BBQ and their table was right behind us! Got to take a picture with the guy! So thank you Palace BBQ, will treasure that memory for life! : D
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Review from Peter P.
This place is really good all you can eat Korean BBQ! So many good meats that have been marinated. Good service as well!
Other pros: eggrolls here have meat, not those typical vegetable spring rolls stuff
Cons: Pricey for lunch and dinner. Wish they had some more items. Dessert is kinda weak. -
Review from Cindy T.
San Francisco, CA
How can you not give this place 5 stars...it's all you can eat Korean BBQ! Yes, the wait can be a real pain at times but once you get seated and start piling your plate with lots of meat, you'll forget all that negativity.
Tip: Go on the day of your birthday, it's FREE! -
Review from Sancho P.
San Jose, CA
There are only 3 reasons people wouldn't like Palace BBQ Buffet:
1) They're vegan/vegetarian
2) They're afraid of their skirts smelling like grilled meat (males included)
3) They get full after eating a spoonful of rice and their appetite sucks
This place is my dream come true. I've been coming here for at least 7 years and I always leave satisfied. Great service and ENDLESS amounts of protein! -
Review from Nick O.
Fremont, CA
No complaints price is only worth it when you eat what you pay for...meaning come in when your starving.. Selection of meat is great!
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Review from Louie L.
Pacifica, CA
I visited Palace with a large group of friends for a birthday celebration. This was a Saturday night AYCE option.
As college students, the 30$ price tag was definitely steep, so a buffet like this is best saved for the most important of dates. Drinks (like soda) aren't included, too.
There are a lot of options to eat, though. If you're doing ACYE, give yourself ALL the kalbi they have. Other proteins included the spicy pork(!), marinated beef, brisket, teriyaki chicken, squid and baby octopus, among others. However, they have other foods, as I remember a fruit/salad bar and some sushi. I even tried some sweet rice punch which was good.
Service is fine, too. They change your grill every now and then once it's entirely charred with BBQ goodness. They also have complimentary ice cream.
So this is like any other buffet. The price is steep, but it can be up to you whether or not that steep price is worth it. Otherwise, enjoy the massive protein intake! -
Review from Nick L.
San Francisco, CA
Free smells!
Great AYCE Korean BBQ place!
Great setup where you get your own.
Great, fast and efficient service.
Great kalbi.
Everything else is average to a bit above average.
Good to get your fill, not sure how many times I could do this in a month!
Remember you will come out smelling like a piece of cooked meat. -
Review from Jason T.
Renton, WA
This place was the shizniz. The food was hella bumpin', kalbi was delicious and perfectly marinated, and the spicy pork was kickin' forsure. Definitely a great spot for some Korean BBQ. Worth the wait!
Most importantly, their fruit was so sweet and succulent! Best ever. If you're in the area, you better go and check out Palace BBQ! As another Yelper noted, best Korean BBQ outside of LA. Even more authentic than Korea, apparently. Agreed.
