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Road To Seoul
Categories: Restaurants Korean Restaurants Barbeque Korean, Barbeque
1230 S Western AveLos Angeles, CA 90006
(323) 731-9292
Announcement
Two people minimum for All-You-Can-Eat
Open 365 days including all the holidays!!
11:00A.M - 11:00P.M(Last calls10:30P.M)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- 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:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
1376 reviews for Road To Seoul
Review Highlights
"Pork Neck - SWEET MOTHER BABY JESUS."
(in 162 reviews)
"The beef tongue was by far and away my favorite."
(in 133 reviews)
"especially I loved the baby octopus."
(in 122 reviews)
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1375 reviews in English
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Review from norma o.
Los Angeles, CA
2/7/2012
My boyfriend and i LOVE this place. the only thing that might be a little off are the korean waiters and waitresses that work there. theyre a bit rude.
we like to enjoy our time here when its not too crowded. I am a huge fan of the quality of the meats.
I love the side dishes, especially the kimchi pancake and the egg soup! -
Review from Richard K.
Los Angeles, CA
2/8/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Road to Seoul was one of the few AYCE places that I would frequent because of their decent meat and service. However, this past weekend was the first time I went on a Saturday night and let's just say that I should have made a damn U-turn.
You see, when you come on weekends, Road to Seoul transforms from a normal Korean BBQ restaurant into a fucking nightclub. Long lines? Check. Loud music? Check. Flashing lights? Check.
Just entering the restaurant was a bitch because of all the people blocking it. I mean someone needed to call the fire marshal because it had to be a fire hazard. All it takes is a little organization on Road to Seoul's part to set up a rope line system. I guess it's too cumbersome to do so though when you need 3 clueless people behind the cashier.
While I understand that there is nothing that they can do about the long lines, management seriously needs to consider turning down the fucking music because I felt like I was going to lose my hearing and my mind after listening to "Lovey Dovey" and Spice Girls a million fucking times on full blast. Also, Road to Seoul needs to eliminate their birthday celebrations where they flash their lights on and off because I felt like I was going to have a fucking seizure while trying to see if my meat was cooked or not.
A few nights before I had made a reservation for a party of 9. Thank god I had made a reservation because otherwise we would have never eaten. However, what pissed me off was that despite our large party, we were seated at a table with one fucking grill. Furthermore, every time we would ask for additional cuts of meat, the servers would bring the meat on tiny plates that would barely placate a party of 3 let alone 9 fucking people.
And why are they uber stingy with their pork belly? I mean, it has to be the cheapest cut of meat they offer, yet each time we requested pork belly, the servers would only bring out two strips.
In terms of the food and the cuts of meat, they offer a wide variety from tongue to baby octopus that are of pretty decent quality. And before my Saturday nightmare, I would have considered this place a solid 4-star restaurant.
Therefore, unless you enjoy eating meat to the backdrop of "Wannabe", stay away from Road to Seoul on weekends. Because "yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want" is some fucking peace and quiet while I am eating.
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*By the way, there is a self-park parking lot in the rear that is accessible via West 12th Street. If you are lucky enough to find parking in this lot, the "road" to the restaurant is via a bizarre tunnel that leads you past the dumpsters and the grease interceptor... Let's just say the whiff that you get when passing them is akin to the smells of Seoul on a hot and humid summer's day.
**They have a secret side dish called "jang-a-chi" which consists of pickled peppers and onions in a soysauce and vinegar brine that will only be brought to you if you ask.Listed in: The $hit List, Korean
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Review from Annie T.
Saratoga, CA
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Meh.
Food was typical of ktown bbq places. for the shitty service we got last time and the insane amount of people there, i would not go back again. This place is hyped up way too much.
I went with a group of 8 on a saturday night, we did make a reservation and they were pretty good about keeping our time even though we were a little bit late. once we got our table, we had to keep pushing the service button because nobody would come to help us. I even had to get up to get the water and extra rice cake wraps for my table because they were all too busy taking care of other tables. It took them a good 15 minutes to provide us cups for everyone at the table, and even longer for forks for my american friends (lol). We asked one waiter for a fork and he brought 2, saying they didn't have any left. WTF? then we asked another waitress because we didn't believe they ran out of forks, and she brought the rest for the table. Wow.
The food was decent for the price and they gave us a lot of kimchi pancakes (yay)..but seriously. Hire more workers. Please. You know how busy it gets. And get more forks too for the americans? lol.
Parking is reasonably priced at $2, but it took forever for them to bring the car back after we finished eating. -
Review from Edward W.
Fremont, CA
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Walking into Road to Seoul, I was greeted with loud frat music and lots of delicious sounding food. I think part of the reason why everyone loves this place is because they play mainstream music.
Coming at 8pm, we were still faced with an hour wait so we walked around for awhile to pass some time. After we were seated, we were presented with 2 options - $17.99 for the standard kbbq or $20.99 for some extra options like shrimp. We decided to stick with the standard since the extra options seemed unnecessary.
These are the orders we went with:
Beef Tongue - very chewy; neutral
Road to Seoul Beef - not marinated, very fatty; not recommended
Bulgogi - well marinated, flavorful, not salty; a must have
Short rib meat - lean meat, but not tough; a must have
Bbq chicken - well marinated; a must have
The pancake side tasted soggy in the middle and crispy on the outside, not recommended.
The bean sprouts side was good.
Best AYCE kbbq I've ever had. -
Review from Sue N.
Los Angeles, CA
2/9/2012
Die for the meet quality here!!! I love beef and not that into pork, so I ordered Bulgogi, and ribs. My boyfriend ordered Baby octopus and squid. I have to say all of them are more than good!! we both agree here is the Best BBQ we ever have.(we are fans of K-BBQ). Boys work here look very cool but very attentive and helpful. They worth our 5 star.
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Review from Amit S.
Pasadena, CA
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
I got caught up with all the hype on yelp about this place. I finally decided to give this place a shot. I eat korean bbq at least once a week, and I have been to many AYCE and a la carte.
The service here is SPOT ON. Best service I have ever received at a korean bbq joint. However, the food was just ok. The meats were not anything that had me wanting more. My friends and I were all disappointed since we all were caught up into the 1300 reviews 4 star here. One of the first times yelp has been wrong. -
Review from Ron Z.
Daly City, CA
1/30/2012 9 photos
WOW, I wish they had something like this in San Francisco!
We all had the $17 BBQ Special. All of the meat was great. Huge portions of the sirloin and brisquet, and the bulgogi's marinade was so sweet and tasty. I loved wrapping them in the rice paper wrap and dipping it in the hot soy sauce. Pure Heaven. And while most in our party didn't like it, the baby octopus was so tender, and not chewy at all. I had it grilled with no sauce, and it was wonderful.
The only negative I have about this place is the ventilation sucked, so we constantly had grill smoke in our face, and we came out smelling like BBQ for the whole night. Still, a small price to pay for what is easily the best Korean Restaurant I've ever been to. -
Review from Ines O.
North Hollywood, CA
2/1/2012
Came here in mid December 2011 for my husband's company x-mas party for the AYCE. We usually eat at Soowan Galbi.
The place was clean, which is very important to me. The food is not as good as Soowan Galbi, but good enough. The beef tongue was delicious. Wish we ordered that sooner. The sides are minimal (6 items). The kimchi tasted watered down. The pancake was very good, but on the oily side. The service is quick, but if you don't have reservations be prepared to wait at least 45 minutes during dinner time. If you do have reservations, make sure your whole party is there or they will pass you up.
Lastly, the place is very loud and you will smell like smoke when you leave. -
Review from Michael C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/29/2012
Great variety here for the price. Surprisingly, the standout here for me was the squid. I thought it was something that just would never work on the grill, but it turned out a lot like Chinese calamari. I'm not going to run through all the meats, but I was surprised by the quality of everything served to us. Banchan is standard fare and nothing special (well ok, the pancake is pretty killer), but at the end of the day I'm not here to eat salad.
Outside of the food itself, be aware that parking is terrible. Expect to valet or walk a good distance. Also, Road to Seoul requires you to tip the standard 10%/15% for lunch and dinner respectively. Someone in my party tried to pass off a sub 10% tip and the staff gave us a hard time about it. I don't really blame them, but just keep in mind that it's something that can happen. Lastly, the waiters are very insistent about helping you cook the meat. Awesome if you suck at it, but potentially annoying if you want to do it yourself.
If you want to stuff yourself with brisket, pork belly, etc and don't know where to start, this is a great "My First AYCE KBBQ." It's still awesome for everyone else, but there's a good chance this isn't your go-to. -
Review from Anna N.
Fullerton, CA
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went here for a late lunch and sat right away to a table full of condiments ready for us. They automatically serve iced tea which is nice. We ordered a beer to set it right. Nice selection of meats. They were all great! Love that they serve the kimchi pancake and egg pot. Didn't like that they didn't have the sliced daikon sheets. That gave one strikes on the stars. Great service, changed out our grill twice. Had their own little parking lot. Would def come back.
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Review from Calvin H.
Los Angeles, CA
2/1/2012
One of the better AYCE KBBQ spots in LA! It's pretty obvious since is has over 1200 reviews with a 4 Star average! The great thing about Road to Seoul is the fact that it serves good meat, at a good price, and has spot on service! The waiters/waitresses are always attentive and ready to bring you more meat and or banchan [side dishes].
The banchan is the only downside to this place as I feel they could do a little better! But by no means is it bad/horrible. Just left me wanting a little bit more out of it. The meat that really stands out here is the Pork Neck! Although it's nothing special by standards, it's amazing here. Extremely flavorful and always has me ordering more!
All in all, Road to Seoul is great place for the AYCE KBBQ go-er. Definitely a must try if you're ever in the area and well worth it if you're venturing from a decent distance. You will not leave unsatisfied.
They also service alcohol too such as beer and soju amongst other korean specialties.
P.S. Don't forget to order their kimchi pancake or their steamed egg either! -
Review from Catherine H.
Los Angeles, CA
1/30/2012
This was my first time here! Whenever KBBQ is mentioned I always hear about Road to Seoul, so I was pretty excited to come eat here! We got seated right away, but it was a Wednesday night around 7pm. Later though the place filled up!
The sides are already put out for you. The potato salad was really good and I liked the bean sprouts also. The service was fast, and they also had the little table button, like some places in K-town. I actually went with no koreans and the service was still good! We ordered the bulgogi, road to seoul beef, tongue. The bulgogi was probably the best I've had at KBBQ so far! soooo good! The service is really good, they always change your grill so it doesn't get all crusty and gross. They also have really good kimchi pancakes, which I"m actually craving right now!
MUST GO AGAIN!! Im also kind of interested in the baby octopus...very interesting... -
Review from Elizabeth S.
Saratoga, CA
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Dear Jeebus, their Pork Neck is AMAZING.
I came here with two other friends. They constantly ordered the pajeon (pancake) and I frequently asked them for more dduk bo ssam (it wasn't sweet though... idk something about it was off.)
The price is all right, their meat is okay. But their Pork Neck you could really just die for and eat constantly and constantly.
We had other meats of course. Their spicy pork? Really really spicy, and not very good. We had other things too. I really don't remember but... I was not very impressed.
For the price, I wish they had higher quality meats and less selection. Oh well.
The service was good, as long as you flag people down, and they do speak English very well. I don't think I'll be coming back, but I do not hold any grudges against this place. This place is actually not that bad. Just A-OK in my book. -
Review from Josie C.
Irvine, CA
1/29/2012 4 photos
One of the gabillion krn bbq places in Ktown...
Great service, great music and great food. It was freezing when I went with my group of 12...quickly learned to love the hot, oily, bbq filled air ....Had A LOT OF MEAT... my favorite will always be pork belly ... they also had the typical krn bbq choices.. what else can be said but DELISHHHHH.
and like all krn places, they had a little intermission birthday song thing for the birthday kid with a candle on the chocopie.
definitely will come back again. One of the more enjoyable krn bbq places, not too pricey with friendly waiters.
check out my pictures : ) -
Review from O G.
Los Angeles, CA
1/26/2012
The parking here was horrible! However, it was worth it for the food.
The Pros:
Marinated Kalbi was delicious!
Sirloin was nice and chunky! You can definitely tell it was sirloin. The meat wasn't all thin and flimsy.
Quality of meat was pretty good for AYCE.
The Korean pancake was awesome. I think I ate two whole ones myself.
Service was pretty decent.
The Cons:
There weren't any except for one and it was my own fault. While waiting for a table, I went on Yelp and saw pictures of alien looking baby octopuses. We decided to get an order just for kicks. I do eat octopus but I don't know what it is about this one, it just looks a bit scary. So I took a bite of it's head and salty juices squirted out! Ewwww........and then I started getting itchy. No more alien looking baby octopuses for me. =/
You should definitely give this place a try! -
Review from Edison T.
1/22/2012
My favorite KBBQ place in Los Angeles!!! Parking is hit or miss in the back lot but at least there's valet. On weeknights and weekends it definitely can be a clusterfudge but definitely worthy of the wait.
My favorite choices are the beef tongue, pork belly, beef sirloin, and those awesome Korean pancakes that they give you. You can always taste the superior quality of the meats when you come to RTS over other L.A. KBBQ institutions. Pricewise for the higher options are around 20 a person but for the choices and quality, I don't mind paying that much. Service is fast although given that the place is usually a zoo, you will need to wave them down from time to time.
Road To Seoul, how happy you make my tummy... -
Review from Christina T.
Alhambra, CA
1/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Road to Seoul is STILL my favorite AYCE Korean BBQ place. Maybe it's because I've never had a bad experience with this place, and I've been coming here since I was still on the Undergrad campus at USC. It's only $17.99 per person for dinner, and the food is great quality! I would have to say my favorites here are the Kalbi, brisket, and pork belly wrapped rice cake (recently discovered this---OMG!) The service is really good, they will change your grill for you ASAP and as often as you need (this really comes in handy when your group is too busy to grill your food because you're all talking... or playing the drinking game Titanic.....The waitress even called us newbs and showed us how to properly mix soju and Hite using some napkin swirling technique! Fun times.
I love that it comes with the Kimchi pancake, which is my FAVORITE! (Crispy on the edges and still pancake-y near the center) and their potato salad. The potato salad used to have apple chunks in it, which were really good, but not anymore apparently. They give ample rice paper, and bean sprouts and steamed egg side dishes also.
There is always parking in the lot in the back, even when the place is packed, and as long as you're wearing something you're not afraid of coming out smelling like meat in, then you will definitely enjoy this place. MMhmm. Makes mehungry all over just thinking about it. -
Review from Tracy T.
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Wanted to see what the hype was all about. Honestly, had better. More specifically - Hae Jang Chon which is on the other end of Ktown. RTS was good in quality and flavors of meat. Pork neck was indeed amazing. Galbi was amazing as well.
BIG BUMMER is the wait (1+ hr; I even saw people who had reservations wait quite a while). We waited for our name to be called, then when it was called we were told to wait some more in an inconvenient more trafficked place (near the register/counter), then we were called again to wait once again as our table was being cleaned up. Effectively: 3-4 different waiting areas. After we were seated, we also had to wait to get service. The first round of orders went well. The middle of our dining was when it got really bad. We ordered the same meat order 3 times. THREE TIMES. Rung that bell a ton (our button was broken too- apparently patrons before us had patience issues as well..) and each time somebody came by but would forget portions of our requests such as more water/napkins or meat...
Service was just so terrible. The ambiance was just as terrible...so many birthdays. Like seriously, they did the obnoxious birthday thing (blast music/flash lights) 4 times in a row! I know it's a special day for you folks but for the sake of efficiency and other people around you- why don't they just do all the bday things in one go?! Especially if it's multiple within the 10minutes!
They did change our grill plate multiple times but that meant more waiting (for the new grill to heat up!)...
grrrr..Sticking to the tried and true! Forever faithful to "Piggy KBBQ Place" HAE JANG CHON!
skip this place if you can!! -
Review from Leslie P.
Driving anywhere remotely near Koreatown will smell like Korean barbecue. The smell just gets stronger when you're actually in the restaurant.
A few ban chans were already set at the table when we got there. We opted for the $17.99 all you can eat option and ordered:
Beef brisket x2
BBQ chicken
Beef tongue
Baby octopus
Bulgogi
Korean pancake x2
Steamed egg
My favourites were the bulgogi and Korean pancake. This is not seafood pancake, but instead this was a much thinner one. The taste resembled some sort of Asian rice cracker, but it was still soft. I can't quite put my finger on it; all I know is that it was really good! I did not like the baby octopus because it was too salty. All the other meats were delicious, nicely marinated and tender.
This place was quite popular. Around 7:30pm on a Sunday night, the three of us waited about 30 minutes to be seated. There were many large groups celebrating birthdays. We heard the birthday song at least six times! Remember that you will smell like KBBQ after your meal, so dress appropriately. -
Review from Kristine H.
Calabasas, CA
2/5/2012
standard Korean all-you-can-eat BBQ place, average meat for average prices, and you can eat all you want for $17.99
the only notable characteristics:
-they stick to their reservation times!! great because your party can actually get seated on time. not-so-great because they will also kick you out when your reservation time is over
-ventilation here is not as good as some other places
-like some of the other places they try to give it the "club" vibe with their music volume & selection
-good service (sometimes)!
this place is always PACKED! which means they must be doing something right! -
Review from Angela W.
Los Angeles, CA
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Let me start off by saying, this place is absolutely great! Totally modern, good food, nicely priced and very friendly.
The parking is VERY tight, but sometimes you get lucky and find parking in the back. My cousin and I weren't so lucky, but we did manage to find parking on the street near the back! Just be careful, certain streets seem pretty sketchy :/
When we got to the restaurant, the waitress said that it would take about 45 minutes before we could get a seating. It was kind of a bummer because I tried to make a reservation earlier, but they said to just walk in. I guess they don't really take reservations unless it's for large parties. Anyways, we went there around 8pm on a friday night and the place was packed!
When we finally got a seat, there was a waiter who immediately served us and took our orders. The prices are $17.99 or 20.99, we went with the 17.99 one and started off with bulgogi, BBQ chicken and baby octopus. We also got the black pork bacon, pork neck, and cow tongue. I was not a fan of the baby octopus or cow tongue, but everything else was great! They also gave us some steamed eggs and pancake which was really yummy
There were waiters who changed our grill repeatedly which was really nice and I noticed that whenever someone pressed the button for a waiter, they would arrive pretty quickly. The service overall was just great too :)
The place overall was a very nice experience. It was very loud, so I wouldn't really recommend it for a first date place, but still a very nice place. They played modern music like stuff from the top billboard charts and some popular korean songs. And whenever it was someone's birthday, they would stop the music, flicker the lights and play a happy birthday song.
That 45 minute wait? Totally worth it. I definitely recommend this place and next time, I'm coming with a large group of friends! :)
P.S. wear something that you don't care too much for, you are going to walk out the restaurant smelling like BBQ -
Review from Michelle K.
Norco, CA
2/5/2012
Went last sunday night for dinner with my family. The food amd service was awesome! Waitress geni was great! She checked our table often and was really nice and friendly. The place is really loud and full of young ppl but its a great place for the family as well. The music was good. Mostly kpop :) highly recommend this place. Id say its the best kbbq ive been to so far. Way better than byul dae po. The gobchang and samgyup sar were the best! The nengmyun was soooooo good too. It was icy and the broth was delicious.
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Review from Liangzi H.
Los Angeles, CA
2/5/2012
This place is not as good as it was rated. My two friends and I came here for BBQ today, and we have longed for it cuz of the hight ratings averaged 1000+ reviews. The interior environment is good, with wide screen TVs and long wooden tables. We ordered the $17.99 combo, which is a bit expensive for us. We had spicy pork belly, chicken and beef. The side dishes are ok, but they have very delicious pan cakes, which we ordered several. The spicy pork belly was the best, with a sweet and spicy flavor, and u can eat without any sauce. The chicken is very fresh, and the beef is just ok. The service here is good with a service bell. However, it's more suitable for big groups than a few friends. Parking is a bit crowded. Not bad, but not super good.
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Review from Jon Y.
Ventura, CA
1/16/2012
I am a very big Korean BBQ Fan. I mean, what can you not like about it? Anywho,
Road to Seoul was an interesting experience. I for one get very picky when talking about Korean food. Main reason being, my mother is better than most korean's at preparing anything Korean food related.
Anyways, A couple of buddies and I tried it out after an art show (so we were starving). The location for one was convenient ( Western Ave. )
The menu selection was a very standard AYCE, and I expected all the stops: from gaerhan jjeem, chadol (beef brisket) galbi (ribs), and sangyubsal (pork)
and through and through they delivered!
The only thing stopping Road to Seoul from getting 5 stars is the slight lack of service. It happens with most korean restaurants. Let's hope I find one ~
It is still a great place to check outListed in: Korean BBQ
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Review from Catherine K.
Los Angeles, CA
1/6/2012
I've heard so many good things about Road to Seoul, so I was definitely excited to check them out for a friend's birthday. When I first went when it first opened, I was pretty disappointed because their chadol was mostly fat :(
But this visit definitely showed improvement from my first visit years ago.
For $17.99 or $20.99 (?) you can get a variety of meat. The meat was mediocre, but they had interesting dduk ma ree (meat wrapped rice cake pieces). I also LOVED their kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake)...so soft and crispy edges just the way it should be.
They were also attentive by cooking the meat for us on multiple occasions (pretty rare to find in ayce places these days) and turning on bday music and flashing the lights at the cost of embarrassing my friend hahaha.
Overall, standard but solid AYCE Korean bbq. Parking is in the back lot, but I was lucky to snag one in the front since it was lunch...yes, I had AYCE for lunch and didn't eat again for the next 36 hours haha. -
Review from Connie C.
Diamond Bar, CA
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hot Spot for sure! At first, I thought this place was tiny, but when I went further inside, wow this place was big and super packed! The music was awesome! I felt like it was a club! Just wanted to get up and dance!
Getting side tracked, the price was descent $17.99 or $20.99. The brisket, marinated beef and prime cuts were so delicious! My favorites by far! And there is steamed egg and pancake, mmmmm....
I went there for my birthday, and they stop the music and play this cute Happy Birthday song and your like being in the center of attention (very embarrassed, thank you friends...) But they give you a chocolate pastry for your dessert. Very kind and sweet of them!
Overall, I love this place! Most definitely come with big groups! -
Review from Renita K.
Los Angeles, CA
1/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Road to Seoul is fun with a big group... they constantly come around with more banchans and are quick to bring the meat to the tables. The meat itself is good too. My only gripe is that they always try to pack us in so tight. Last time I went in a group of 10, and they squeezed us all around one grill. With as many fatties as we had in the group it just was not enough.
But despite being crammed in there, the place is always a good time. I kind of want to go for my birthday so they'll sing their ridiculous Korean Happy Buss-day song for the whole place.
Oh, and parking is easy too... I think the valet is only $2. -
Review from maeling l.
Los Angeles, CA
1/17/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Get very busy and is very popular for birthdays. Almost everytime we go, there is at least 3 birthdays.
Great price for the amount of food you get and wonderful quality meat. -
Review from Tiffany D.
Los Angeles, CA
1/5/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I think I just died and went to a BBQ-smelling, bulgogi-laden heaven where rivers of hite flow non-stop.
In terms of AYCE KBBQ, this place hits the nail dead smack on the head! Affordable ($17.99 gives choices if more than enough meats; $20.99 if you're tryina be fancy (aka adding shrimp)), good quality meats, good banchan, decent service. Plus, they cook over charcoal chips so your meats taste REALLY BBQ-ed. i mean, how can i NOT come here weekly?!
We came for lunch, and hearing all the hype about the lines, came right at 11am opening. no line! By 12 it was packed! Service was good since we were early. Everyone was friendly enough and attentive.
Meats I'd recommend:
-bulgogi: wonderfully flavored and tender
-kalbi: really tasty, cooks very well
-road to seoul steak: really really tender and amazing when grilled and cut up fresh. like little bits of ribeye coming to wish your tongue gday
-spicy pork belly: this sh*t spicy! but goooood
-brisket: standard, but always one of my favorites anywhere. nothing too special, but was tasty.
highly recommend, and cant wait to come back!Listed in: KTown Los Angeles
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Review from Christian G.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012
The food is good, but be forewarned that this is one noisy little joint.
If you want the... uhhh.... very vibrant atmosphere, this place is a great choice.
Also, the servers won't necessarily speak much english. Nonetheless, I found them friendly and accommodating. -
Review from Jenna L.
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
When you come in here.. even on a Monday night, it is quite packed. We waited for a good 20 minutes. Not too shabby during peak hour!
It's a fun place to eat w/ friends. Can share and chat etc.
I'm sucha noob. There should be a manual. So you can choose your food option. So there's a premium and a regular. I OF COURSE,, chose regular. : )
It's all you can eat, so you can choose 3 items at a time.. it comes w/ this bowl of egg that's been steamed i think. and also those side dishes.. lettuce... dipping sauces and a pancake. It's quite oily and quite delicious!
BUT be warned! Their beef tongue is quite chewy and not what you think! BUT their sirloin is SOOOO SWEET AND JuICY! And if you just stare at the meat, the waiters come and rescue you by grilling it and cutting it for you. They did this to me many times. : )
HORRAY ! VICTORY ! The music is fun too, it's like you're at a club. I would suggest this place for blind dates. Because in case they're not that interesting, you can drown them out w/ the music and just focus on the food.. ALSO! If they seem shy to eat, then you know you don't want them in your life anyways. Just saying! -
Review from James V.
Garden Grove, CA
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hands down the best KOREAN BBQ EVER (ayce that is);
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Review from Stacey P.
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
The quality that Road to Seoul AYCE bbq offers is the best I've had for sure. It's definitely worth the $$ especially if you can eat your money's worth. I'm not one of those people that can eat their money's worth so I'm not to sure that I'll come here again especially since I live next to several other Korean bbq for $10.
Besides their quality of meat, I really appreciate the extra side dishes such as the steamed egg soup which is amazingly good. I didn't really care for their fried pancake since I've had better. Idk... call me a Korean food snob.
Overall, a great AYCE bbq place for those with the stomachs to make it worthwhile. I recommend coming here for a late lunch or early dinner to avoid the crowds and waiting.Listed in: Socal owns my heart &…, All You Can Eats
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Review from Paulina C.
Hacienda Heights, CA
1/22/2012
Today, I went this place after reviewing the Yelp reviews. I absolutely agree with the reviews. I give this place 5+ stars. Excellent service and excellent food.
AYCE $17.99 is worth every penny. Meat was premium quality. I highly recommend marinated kalbi and jumuluk. This is a must place if you want to have Korean BBQ. I highly recommend Road to Seoul. You won't be disappointed :D -
Review from Michelle Q.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012
I don't care that this place got 50% of the people in my party of 12 sick! I still love this place!
The food is absolutely delicious. At $17.99, it's hard to believe you get as much variety in terms of meat as you do. Fresh beef tongue, beef rib meat, pork belly, brisket, etc--what's not to love?! My personal favorites were the Road to Seoul Beef and the Beef Tongue. So good! And the neverending pancakes and steamed eggs were to die for. I'm so hungry right now.
The best thing about this place is the fact that they have service buttons on the table so you can alert the workers when you need meat refilling--which for us was about every 20 seconds. Oh I feel bad for our waitresses/waiters. But hey, that's exercise.
No complaints. Shortly following, a couple of us got mild food poisoning (not from lack of cooking since we were at different grills and all the meat was cooked through). But the food was still tasty, service was fantastic, and price was great. I would definitely go back! -
Review from Steven G.
1/3/2012
Just plain amazing. I am in love with all you can eat Korean BBQ and Road to Seoul just reinforces my belief that it is one of the best foods known to mankind. I don't even know where to start praising this place. Pricing was good, right where I thought it would be. Many other reviewers talked about a really long wait but I was extremely fortunate and my party of 5 was seated within 5 minutes of us arriving. However on the way out the line stretched out the door so arrive a little earlier than 7 if you want to beat the rush.
Service was great considering that at most Korean BBQ places service isn't exactly a strong point. We got out food in a timely manner even though it was a really busy night.
Now onto the food. There was a plethora of side dishes and starters set out as we were seated. For the most part I could care less about these dishes as it's all about the meat for me but I was starving and couldn't help trying everything. The appetizers and sides were prepared really well. A good amount and just enough to keep you satisfied until the main courses. My cousins and I ordered every type of meat on the menu and that was an experience in itself. The 2 things that stood out in my mind the most were the baby octopus and the beef tongue. I was unsure about both but definitely don't regret trying it. The beef tongue was especially good, extremely tender and full of flavor. However, bulgogi is my favorite dish of all and I am extremely nitpicky about it. Road to Seoul did a great job with the Bulgogi but I thought that it was lacking flavor as if it wasn't marinated enough.
Saying that Road to Seoul is really great is a complete understatement, the atmosphere and the food itself more than warrants it a 5 star. I hope I can visit here soon again to satisfy my KBBQ cravings.
p.s. They sing birthday songs to people!! -
Review from N h.
West Hills, CA
1/16/2012
Went here for the bf's birthday.
We were seated promptly with a large table.
Then we met... our bitchy waitress lady. WHO LIED TO US THE WHOLE NIGHT.
She lied that there was no rice. Then we see other servers bringing rice to other tables!!!!
She lied they were out of beef choices: OTHER TABLES WERE GETTING THEM, TOO.
Finally, we hijacked this other lady who seemed really sweet. She FINALLY hooked it up for us.
But we could only get her from time to time so we were left with the angry waitress for a good chunk of our meal. What's her deal anyway? I read other reviewers saying they're not nice to non-koreans, so maybe that's why?
The meat we got WAS delicious though. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE STEAMED EGG!
Love, love, love KIMCHI PANCAKE!!!!!!!!
Love, love, love unlimited refills on steamed egg, kimchi pancake, and banchan!
Hae Jang Chon no longer gives you unlimited of these :( unfortunately. That's why I kind of stopped frequenting there.
-1 star for 3 things: bad service by that one lady, uber wait for our meat, and closing early. we didn't really get to optimize our time because of her. -
Review from Joy L.
Los Angeles, CA
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
The best AYCE Korean "Seoul food" I've had so far in K town! Came on a Tuesday night and it was packed. Seating was fairly fast for a table for 6.
Fast service, attentive waiters, wide selection on the $17.99 menu, endless steamed egg and side dishes, k-pop music and top 40 dance remixes, the lakers game playing on the screens, random happy birthday singing in a broken english, tons of asians/non-asians all chowing down.
It's a party! Loses one star because ALL your clothes/hair will smell like marinated smoke so don't wear your sunday's best. And prepare to get your protein fix for the week. DO IT.
PARKING: You can find street parking on the side streets or valet. -
Review from A C.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
My FAVORITE KBBQ AYCE place in LA!!
SUPERB customer service (even though nobody spoke korean at our table)
Great quality meat
Beef tongue!!
Marinated pork neck (omg so tender)
Pork belly
Lively atmosphere but not too loud
We didn't have to wait when we got there at 6:30.. but by 7, the lines were over 45 minutes long. It was crazy! Always come early or really late. -
Review from Angie W.
Updated - 12/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Onions and garlic and bbq, Oh my!! Boy, I smell good!! I would eat myself if I wasn't so full!! We had a great Christmas dinner here tonight!! We arrived just after 5 and there was no wait!! WOOOO!!
I haven't been here in a few years and its the same as before. They did have something new on the menu that we tried: Road to Seoul beef ricecake roll. It is a brisket slice rolled around a ricecake (kinda like mochi). I liked the beef crispy so when you eat it, it was crispy meat then chewy inside. Oh, don't forget to dip it in the red sauce (kinda sweet & spicy). It was good!
The other usual meats are good too!! My faves were bulgogi (perfectly marinated and a lil sweet), beef tongue (thin sliced), squid and kalbi. And the sides!! Love the banchan!! My faves are the bean sprouts, green salad (OMG the Dressing!!!), pancake (extra crispy), potato salad (a lil sweetness to it made a yummy difference), and of course the rice paper!! I was in heaven... Then I had to roll myself out of there... :(
The thing I probably wouldn't get again was the baby octopus. The baby octopus wasn't cleaned :(.
They ambiance was great, loud with kpop and pop music, and everyone rushing around helping people. The service was pretty good too!! For $18 buckaroos a person, it's totally worth it! Oh, a large Hite is only $6.
Come one, come all to get your own bbq fragrance!! :)Listed in: All That Jazz, Bang for the Buck, Buffets, Meatfest, Best BBQ
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/23/2011
I love RtS!! I've been to lots of different AYCE KBBQ places and this is one of the best. Love the… Read more »
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