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Tahoe Galbi

3.5 star rating
based on 416 reviews

Category: Korean  [Edit]

Neighborhood: Koreatown
3986 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 365-9000
Lunch Specials

All you can eat lunch specials!

$9.99 Mon-Fri…

 
Hours:

Mon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Good for Groups:
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Valet, Private Lot
Attire:
Casual
Price Range:
$$
Good for Kids:
Yes
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
No
Waiter Service:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Good for:
Dinner
Alcohol:
Beer & Wine Only
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Neighborhood:
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"Went back again today with my wife and she was blown away.   She's not a big eater, but she couldn't help herself.  She kept saying, "Ok,…" read more »

416 reviews for Tahoe Galbi

Review Highlights   

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"The prices are good, especially for the all you can eat Korean BBQ." (in 46 reviews)
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"Choices are chicken, galbi, bulgogi, pork belly, beef tongue, and." (in 34 reviews)
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"The meat was excellent, and their side dishes were also good." (in 77 reviews)
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Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of Andy N.

 

10

49

Andy N.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
Updated - 2/6/2010 4 photos

OMG THEY ADDED CHEESE CORN TO THE APPETIZERS LIST!!!!! *mouth waters*  Friends and I got at least four dishes of it until the lady took the tray away from us cause we were eating all of it.
See: http://www.yelp.com/bi...

Tahoe Galbi has gotten better since I started eating here a few years back.  They've raised the price (it is $17.99 per person) for dinner, but the meat is just as good as ever.  The brisket tonight was exceptionally good, whereas the galbi continues to shine.  Even my non-Asian friend who is new to KBBQ thought the tongue was good!

Tips:
They do have jap chae as appetizers.  You just need to ask for it.  Sometimes they really will forget to give it to you (or try to cheat you out of it), but demand it!  And you shall receive.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 4 star rating
    6/19/2009

    For $16 all you can eat Korean BBQ, this place is not bad at all.  They offer you a large selection… Read more »

Photo of Steff C.

 

7

38

Steff C.

Pico Rivera, CA

3 star rating
2/2/2010

I went here with my friends and one is Korean and she's an expert in Galbi. She ordered pork, beef, chicken, and those internal organs that we all tried. My personal favorite is the thin slice of beef and the BIG bowl of salad. They said we have to pay extra for left overs, yeah right, my friends got a big appetite except for me, I eat like a bird. I'm sure glad I was with a group because the food took time to get served and the chit chat made the time fly.

I tried the brown sticky rice but didn't like it, the white rice is better. I was sitting beside the red call button so I enjoyed pushing it  every time we call the waiters.

Bring cash for the vallet, a person who likes to do the grilling and a big room in your stomach!

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Photo of marcus l.

 

20

43

marcus l.

Pasadena, CA

4 star rating
1/29/2010

Food:  I've been here twice and each time i've only had the AYCE.  I like this place.   Quality of meat is good.  Galbi and rice paper... i'd be happy just eating those alone.  

Service:  good/attentive

Parking:  valet or street

Overall:  I like the food.  The place is clean.  One of my favorite AYCE KBBQ places

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Photo of raquel t.

 

68

61

raquel t.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
2/10/2010

All you can eat! who doesn't love that?
I was on a trip and my friends took me here for dinner. I've been to a few korean bbq places and this place sure does measure up to the ones I've been to. We went here on a weekday and the place was packed but the wait wasn't bad at all. I was pretty excited to get seated especially because my friends couldn't stop talking about all the food we were going to order.. and we really did order a lot! We kept putting so much meat on that every time the waitress came by she'd always turn down the heat which was kinda funny as we'd always turn it on high as soon as she left.. I'm going down to la again soon and my friend told me we'd eat here again.. I'm pretty excited to stuff my face silly almost to the point of being uncomfortably full..

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Elite '10

106

205

Miki W.

Diamond Bar, CA

2 star rating
1/19/2010

Worst experience ever from a AYCE KBBQ. Heck, even Manna treated me better.

I didn't have a problem with the hour wait. In fact, I would have been surprised if there wasn't a wait. The service and wait staff was what I had an issue with. I mean, come on! Whats the point of having a button to push for service if the wait staff never answer's it?!?!? Ohh and when I did manage to flag someone down, they just told me to "Hold on" and they NEVER came back!! The side dishes had no flavor and the meat wasn't all that great. IMO not worth the drive, price nor the wait.

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Photo of Erin L.

Elite '10

34

116

Erin L.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
1/21/2010

Look.  Considering there are 23058732485 Korean bbq places in K-Town now, it's hard to really say which one is the best and which one isn't.  But, for me, it's about the cleanliness (as in, I don't slide around in my chair because of the layers of grease), the quality of meat, and the banchan and dwaenjang jjigae after.  I think Tahoe is a solid four stars in all of the above categories.

Out of all the AYCE places, I think Tahoe is up there.

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14

45

Ash M.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
1/26/2010

Pretty good deal. AYCE for $18 @ dinnertime...not too bad :)
The meat was good. They have the rice wrappers, egg bowl, kimchee, salad, etc...and the service wasn't half bad.

WARNING: they will charge you $18 for any leftover meat!...I should have read that sign before I ordered another plate of galbi and force-fed myself and my friend :(

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Elite '10

44

98

Jeremy H.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
1/18/2010

Went here for a good buddies Birthday, we reserved one of the Private Rooms...it was AWESOME. This was not my first all you can eat (AYCE) Korean BBQ experience, but it was my BEST.

Atmosphere:
Very modern, and clean with Flat Panel LCD Big Screens everywhere, the waiters all walk around with headsets on, and are very attentive. The place is buzzing with activity and be ready to wait a little while to be seated (well worth the wait). The room we had sat about 10 people all around one table - it was very personable and nice.

Food:
My wife and I love the Kalbi, and Brisket, but the Tongue is really good too (don't be intimidated!)...all the sides were pretty good, especially the rice paper (OMG YUM!), and the kimchi. I've had 'better' cuts of beef before, but these were very good - not 'exceptional' but for all you can eat, the quality was phenomenal. They are a bit on the 'fatty side' but I enjoy well done meats, so I personally enjoy the burnt fatty pieces a lot ;)

Service:
GREAT - seriously, they had like 5 waiters that checked in on us every 5 minutes, and the wait time in between requests and delivery was approx. 2-3 minutes...the headsets are not just for appearance/show!
Another bonus I feel is the really fast Valet Parking staff, they make it very easy to get in and out (unlike most LA spots!).

Recommendation:
If you haven't experienced AYCE Korean BBQ yet, GO! You won't be disappointed.

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Elite '10

19

53

Eliza H.

Plano, TX

3 star rating
1/8/2010

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE korean food and will preface this by saying that if you have never gone to a korean restaurant and would like to try, you should DEFINITELY bring a korean. I know it sounds terrible, but just trust me. I've been to several koreatowns in Texas and Cali and have always received INFINITELY better service if I had a korean with me. With that said, I'll begin the review.

Pulled up to the restaurant-  they have valet parking. I'm not sure if it's optional or not, but we got the car parked for us and had to pay. Nice since it was a bit chilly - not so practical later, when we paid them to pull our car about 10 ft. We opted to walk and just get the car ourselves.

Got seated immediately in a nice, clean restaurant. Atmosphere is nice. Good for family, friends, a date, etc. If you have a big group you can get a nice private room. There are televisions around the place too - mostly set to ESPN channels (no complaint from me :] ).  The server brought us out our beginning side dishes for us to munch on while we waited for our meat. We ordered Galbi, Bulgogi, Tbone steak? and pork.  The food was amazing and everything I expect when eating korean food. The tbone steak was my favorite-  marinated to perfection. Just the right combination of sweet and sour and since the restaurant is an optional "do-it-yourself" styled place, we got to cook our meet over our own grill, so you can choose how cooked you want it. Tender and juicy meat chunks for me.

So depsite the food being amazing, we had to wait longer than I'll forgive for simple things that most other korean restaurants SHOULD do for you. For example, we ordered pork and usually the server will cut up the meat for you. Here, my group struggled with a pair of scissors and strips of pork. I'll add that the scissors only came upon request. Otherwise we'd be grilling foot-long slices of meat. And I noticed that we didn't get frequent check-ups by our waitress. Anywho, food's really good, bring a native speaker and service will probably increase ten-fold.

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Comment from Edward S. of Tahoe Galbi 1/9/2010   
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restaurant policy is to bring the scissors when customer… More »
Photo of Ron N.

Elite '10

50

123

Ron N.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
1/12/2010

I'm between a 3 and a 4 on this one.  For one, the service was AWESOME when it usually isn't at kbbq spots in my experience.  The decor was nicer than usual too.  The wait wasn't too long even though it was fairly crowded (about 10 minutes).  So far so good!

The meat quality was mediocre.  I'm all about 3 major meats at kbbq joints:  brisket, bulgolgi, and short ribs.  Of these 3, only the short ribs did it for me.  *sigh*  I've had a lot better bulgolgi at other spots, and the brisket was just a let down.  It seems like many of the other reviewers here feel the same about the brisket as well.  

Even though we had great service, the thing I'm mostly concerned about at these spots when it comes down to it is the quality of the meat.  3.5 stars.

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0

2

Amber G.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
1/30/2010

Favorite AYCE Korean bbq place by far. If you want just a great overall experience I highly suggest Tahoe. Don't be tricked into spending less money at other AYCE places. Spend the extra $8 and treat yourself to an awesome meal!

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Elite '10

11

302

Andy P.

San Pedro, CA

2 star rating
1/11/2010

When we came here, the prices were much higher at around $16-$18 per person. Now with the economy in the tank and a bunch of $9.99 places sprouting up, I can see that they've conformed as well. Anyway, service is average and they should definitely use the A/C. All they did for our group was bust out tiny fans. The water tasted gross, worse than tap water.

Like most Korean restaurants in K-Town, valet parking is a buck or two.

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Elite '10

1194

665

Kevin L.

New York, NY

4 star rating
12/27/2009

This is why I love having native Korean speakers as friends.

No sooner than we'd landed at LAX and grabbed our luggage from baggage claim were we on our way to Tahoe Galbi.  I can't think of a better first stop after an interminable flight that landed me in LA around 2000 hours local time. Given that I hadn't eaten anything since about noon EST, I was more than ready to dive in.  And the bonus for getting there around 2030 on Christmas eve... no wait, plenty of seating, and reasonably attentive service.  Yes!

I can't even explain what exactly we had, except that the meat kept coming.  Along with plenty of banchan, raw garlic, and clean grilling plates.  Apparently it's not standard, but somehow our Korean friend was able to negotiate for us a few plates of deliciously tender non-marinated galbi.  Highly recommended.  (Or, that might be the three bottles of soju talking.)

Admittedly, I've had better banchan elsewhere, but when coming to an AYCE joint like this, that kind of defeats the purpose, yes?  Still, it's definitely a good idea to consume some kimchi and daikon to help process all the protein through your system.  Days later, I think I'm still working on birthing this meat baby.

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Comment from Edward S. of Tahoe Galbi 1/9/2010   
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Even if you do not have a korean speaking friend, we serve… More »
Photo of Alice H.

 

18

38

Alice H.

Tarzana, Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
1/17/2010 2 photos

A fun place to go with good friends. Why do I say that? Because you'll be around them for a long time and hopefully you'll have something to talk about to keep you occupied during the long waits. The food is really good though, and perhaps it just might be worth the long wait and valet parking.

My favorite is the galbi; the thicker slices hold up better on the grill, and the marinade is well-seasoned, perfect for wrapping in those rice sheets. The salad has a simple vinaigrette dressing and the other banchan is good also. While I usually try to get my money's worth with AYCE and refuse to compromise that ability by drinking alcohol, the meat does taste great with a bottle of Chamisul soju.

On a side note, I've found that you do (fortunately? unfortunately?) get better service if you speak Korean, so don't forget your "Bulgogi chusaeyo" unless you like pressing that little button a dozen times.

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Photo of Dae J.

 

1

12

Dae J.

Los Angeles, CA

1 star rating
2/9/2010

I passed by this place often and decided to check it out, after reading yelp review which gave relatively good rating. Last Friday we sat down what appears to be a decent welcoming ambiance and people forming line by the time we got there. We ordered all you can eat, the usual chadoorbaegee, galbi etc. though I must say galbi was decent, didn't like chadoorbaegee... you have to ask for den-jang cheekae or they will not serve, you see it's not on the menu. The side dish wasn't good either...and what's this corn with cheese? I came here to check out the food quality and I don't understand what's all these yelping about how great the quality of meats are here. I didn't find that to be true. You get what you pay for seem to true here.  There are other places near by all you can eat that had better quality, even at lesser price. Any how check it out yourself if you are curious, but I don't really recommend it.

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Elite '10

441

477

Nick H.

Anaheim, CA

3 star rating
12/26/2009

10 Bucks for AYCE Lunch.

~Not much selection on this deal:
1.Brisket
2.Chicken or
3.Pork Belly

*Since we don't eat chicken at AYCE KBBQ and the Pork Belly takes too long to cook, we were left with $10 AYCE Brisket and Veggies. Not too bad.

~Side Dishes:
Kimchi is definately one of the better that I have had.

~Customer Service
Pretty good. Everyone is nice and friendly and they bring the food out pretty quickly.

~Crowd
Crowd is definately younger and there is a pretty good vibe in this place.

Valet? Why are all these KBBQ places using Valet?

Overall I have had better..especially the brisket. But, for 10 bucks what do you expect? I have to say for the price that this place is AOK.

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Photo of K C.

 

2

3

K C.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
1/20/2010

The brisket is to-die-for.

Lunch is $9.99 and you get AYCE brisket, bbq chicken, and pork belly. (Better deal, IMO)

Dinner is $17.99 for All of the above, plus bulgogi, kalbi, tongue...

Bulgogi, kalbi, and pork belly are pretty good, but not amazing. Usual side dishes - kim chi, glass noodles, potato salad, fish cake, etc.

The place gets pretty busy and on a Friday/Saturday night, be prepared to wait for about an hour - if there was no wait for an AYCE BBQ place on Friday/Saturday, I'd think twice about eating there.

Service is usually pretty good here, unless it gets super busy - that's understandable. Seriously, waiters are only human, and when they can't even go two steps without someone barking orders at them, do you really expect them to remember everything?

Good place for AYCE BBQ.

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Photo of Sky Y.

 

95

146

Sky Y.

La Jolla, CA

5 star rating
1/2/2010

can't beat 10 bucks for all you can eat for lunch and 17  for dinner!!

Must eats:
-brisket brisket brisket!

Décor:
an all you can eat place, from the inside it looks slightly flashier than the normal korean bbq places.

Service:
pretty nice. I've been here a few times for lunch and dinner. I've been a few times where the party was so large we were able to have the upstairs room to ourselves where we had great service that whole night. it's not easy giving good service at the all you can eat bbq place. so kudos to them!

Cost: I know the selection is small due to the cost. Lunch is 11am-3pm for $10 for brisket, pork belly, and chicken.
Dinner is $17. for the same deal. You can always pay for the additional meats, for galbi etc

Overall:
If I'm in the LA area, I always try and stop by. It's probably the most consistent korean bbq places I've been to.

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Photo of Akiko T.

 

7

62

Akiko T.

La Canada Flintridge, CA

4 star rating
1/12/2010

Good for the lunch specials. 9.99 for weekdays, 11.99 for weekends...or so i remember. its a good place to just eat and eat and eat. girls, make sure you bring guys cause if you dont finish all the plates u get a 18.99 penalty fee :p I went with one other girl and three other guys...and i think we cleaned a lot of meat.

anyway, overall, good service, okay meat, but its 9.99 so i didnt really expect much and dont expect much. i will make sure to remember this place.

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Photo of rajiv p.

 

30

50

rajiv p.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
1/13/2010

Tahoe Galbi is a good place for all you can eat korean bbq.  The wait is always crazy, so its best to call ahead for reservations.  It comes to about $18 / person, which is a bit more expensive than other places.  If you don't get KBBQ much, it's better to pay a little more for better quality meat, IMO.   Realistically it can never compare to a not AYCE place.

I pretty much only order brisket, galbi, bulgogi, and beef tongue.  The dipping sauces add some much needed flavor to the meat as well since the flavors start melding when you eat too much.

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Elite '10

283

593

kristin e.

Portland, OR

4 star rating
12/15/2009

All you can eat dduk bo ssam for $17, I'd say that's not a bad deal at all. Usually in LA, I *always* go to Shik Do Rak on Olympic for dduk bo ssam because it's my favorite restaurant there but I was pleasantly suprised with this one.  I like the freedom to choose the type of meat for grilling and while I could never eat "all I can eat", I still had a great dinner here.

(and now that I'm in Portland, I NEED to find a place that does this type of bbq)

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Photo of Hugh Y.

 

15

78

Hugh Y.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
12/30/2009

Yea-yers! Came here for the $10 AYCE Lunch as a default cuz we were too late to catch another AYCE that closed at 2pm! Whoop whoo!

The $10 AYCE Lunch special is from 11am-3pm, so it's more convenient for the laggers. I don't remember too much about the meal, but it wasn't disappointing. We got 3 kinds of beef and pork belly. The beef decent, except one beef was served to us in frozen slices, so it wasn't the freshest.

Salad: chopped pieces of lettuce in a light sweet dressing. Yum.
Service: Accommodating. They're up on that bell that calls waiters to the table.

I guess I can't complain about anything. KBBQ-AYCE always pleases :D

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Photo of sybril s.

 

16

183

sybril s.

West Covina, CA

3 star rating
1/15/2010

Valet parking only.  Made a reservation and still had to wait for a good 20 minutes to get seated for a friend's birthday.  

Meat quality is good.  We had brisket, chicken, galbi, bulgogi and beef tongue.  Galbi is galbi, I favor the brisket and beef tongue.  $18 all you can eat... don't really have much complaints 'bout that.

It gets suffocating in there.  The place is filled with smoke and I don't think the exhaust fans work.  About 20 minutes in, we were already sweaty.  Had to go outside for fresh cool air before we could continue eating.

I was literally a walking piece of Korean BBQ meat when we left the place.  The smell was super intense thanks to the smoke.  The word of advice is not to go clubbing afterwards...

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Photo of Neil V.

 

2

15

Neil V.

San Bruno, CA

5 star rating
1/10/2010 1 photo

Korean BBQ at its best...LOVE this place!  You cant go wrong w/ all you can eat @ $18.00 per head!!!

Valet Parking is a must...

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Photo of Chuck D.

 

26

74

Chuck D.

Glendale, CA

4 star rating
1/3/2010

Went here for lunch... Honestly, I was skeptical when I heard it was $10 for an all you can eat KBBQ type lunch. I thought that the type of meat wouldn't be of a good quality... I was wrong. Tahoe Galbi was much better than I expected. The requisite side platters that include: daikon, bean sprouts, fish cake, kim chee and assorted others that I cannot name were great. The hot and sour soup was good. A bit spicy for me but I wasnt mad at it...

Of the meats that we had, I like the chicken the best. I usually do when it comes to KBBQ. Keep it coming... yes, please. The brisket was real good too. It was my friend's favorite and all that she ate of the meats. The pork was good. It was like thick-cut bacon slabs. Very good... The dipping sauces for the meats were delish. I could use more at the table instead of having to keep asking for more... But as it goes in most KBBQ spots, that's what the "button" is for.

Overall, I like Tahoe and would definitely go back again. Maybe try it out for dinner. I saw other diners go for some seafood... That might just be in the works for my next trip.

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Elite '10

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223

Refugio G.

Gardena, CA

4 star rating
12/12/2009

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurp

*rubs belly*

tis good....

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Photo of Sheridan S.

 

25

33

Sheridan S.

Culver City, CA

4 star rating
12/11/2009

I am about to give birth to a food baby and I will name it Tahoe Galbi after its other parent.

As I stated when I reviewed Soowon Galbi, I am far from an expert in Korean BBQ.. this is my second time eating it.. so this is written from the POV of a novice.

First.. we actually had really decent service. One of our party was late and we were almost bombarded by servers wanting to take our order. I think the only glitch in service was trying to get a refill on water.. took a bit...but other then that, everyone was accommodating - even when we were trying to figure out the name of the barley tea my friend wanted to order (boricha.)

The food...we all enjoyed it. Out of the meats we tried, the martinated tenderloin seemed to be the winner. The chicken was tasty, as were all the others we tried.

Every time another round was ordered, it was brought out promptly, the boys at the table plowed through a good amount of salad and meats.

Overall, I was really pleased with the experience and would not hesitate to go again, though I did prefer Soowon for overall quality - but for the price, not a bad night out at all.

I say check it out.

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806

Lorrie M.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
12/7/2009

I love this place although I think throughout the years it's gotten a little less peppy and lost some of its awesome luster that it had addicted me with originally.

One thing to note is that this place is extremely busy. Even has they keep raising the prices from $15.99 to $16.99 and now $17.99, they are almost always packed on Fridays and Saturdays during prime time. They only take reservations for tables 10+ but you can always call in to let them know that your party is coming. They only do Valet and its not bad, they have yet to steal anything out of my car and I've had some pretty expensive stuff including snowboards and other laptop goodies. There is almost no parking around the area so its not as ideal to park elsewhere.

They have several types of KBBQ meats and when you find the marinated BBQ, you should always ask for the THICK SLICES not the thin ones they bring out as default because they're not as good! They used to have thick slices on the menu but I'm sure as costs have risen they decided to bring out the thinner slices instead. They don't charge you extra for it so remember to ask!

They also have free miso based soup and this boiled egg thing in the iron pot which is delicious ... I always ask for refills. MMMM. You do smell quite a bit after you finish with this place so I recommend a quick shower immediately and don't wear anything expensive!

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17

80

Christine Y.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
12/17/2009

So very very very beefed out. Never again...but okay not really.

Last time I've been here was about 2 yrs ago, but then came here yesterday for a company holiday party and it was still pretty good. The selection for the ayce menu isn't as diverse as some other places, but the meat they have is pretty good anyhow. Their prices also rose a bit since the last time I came....boo...but what can you do? The side dishes here are also plentiful, no jop chae though.

Usually this place is packed on weekends, but since I came on a Wednesday night, and had reservations for 23, we had our own private room and our own waiter. Very nice of them since not all our party arrived on time, and we stayed to do white elephant so we were there for quite a long time. Props to them for being so good about it all.

The meat...I only had the beef types, no chicken or pork. The best was the galbi, nicely seasoned. Side dishes consisted of, spicy soup (yum), pickled radish and carrots, kimchi, potato salad, egg thing, broccoli, spicy squid with cucumbers, bean sprouts, salad, and rice wraps. All this stuff went inside my little tummy.

If anyone asked me if I wanted to go here, would I say no? Nope. But since I'm in my phase of trying out new places I prolly won't be back for a bit.

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0

17

A W.

Los Angeles, CA

1 star rating
1/3/2010

Not impressed.

Wait was too long (told 20-30 min, but actually waited over an hour)

We were repeatedly told we were next, but kept seeing other parties the same size as ours being seated before us.

Food was fine, but not good enough to validate the wait.

The waiters were prompt and friendly.

I don't imagine I would go back here, there are other places just as good, if not better, without the wait.

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Comment from Edward S. of Tahoe Galbi 1/9/2010   
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I'm really sorry that we made you feel unpleasant because of… More »
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Elite '10

21

97

Anne H.

New York, NY

4 star rating
12/4/2009 1 photo

Cheap, cheap, cheap!!! Where can you find all you can eat Korean BBQ for cheap? Here.

You LA Dudettes and Dudes are so lucky. BBQ Kalbi in NY is ~$24 for one serving.

For chicken lunch special, it's even cheaper than $17. But because of the name of the restaurant "Tahoe Galbi," we ordered the galbi. Galbi is a rib meat and is the most expensive compared to all the other Korean BBQ meats (at least I can say that for NYC). Maybe shrimp costs more. Anyway, for your $17.99, you can order all you can eat meat, you get side dishes (Korean potato salad, acorn/mung bean jelly, bean sprouts, spicy salad, kim chi, brocoli, garlic, soybean paste, sesame sauce, jalapeno, egg, rice, Korean miso soup, tea, and ginger tea). I'm sure I forgot something, but if I did, you list it in your review. I thought at one point they served cold soba-like noodles called nang-myun, but I didn't even bother asking.

All the sides are all you can eat too. The reason that I gave it 4-stars was mainly because of their egg. I've had better (texture and color of egg slightly lighter and fluffier) and worse (salty egg). They prepare it in that ceramic pot. Anyway, I'll upload more photos later. But I told all my New York friends to eat here when they exhibited their work at the Wired Nextfest conference, and they told me they ate at Tahoe Kalbi everyday.

One thing I would like to add is that they have an electronic bidet, similar concept to Morimoto's in New York. Why do I mention that? First, so you can try it if you want. Second, to say that most restaurants that have this usually have cleaner bathrooms (which is tres important to me).

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Elite '10

22

533

ameer n.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
1/20/2010 1 photo

i grew up 1/2 korean. actually, that's not true -my close friend was korean and i grew up eating food from his fridge after school.

regardless, this place had a very good price per value ratio going for it. 10 of us hit up all you can eat and ended up paying $24/ea. i left satisfied!

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121

55

Matthew H.

Monterey Park, CA

5 star rating
11/23/2009

I love going to Tahoe for lunch. It goes from 11am-2pm, is $9.99, and AYCE (All You Can Eat). Albeit you only get a choice of the Beef Brisket, BBQ Chicken, or Pork Belly -- you NEVER feel bad about eating the delicious side dishes.

There are tradeoffs though -- besides having a limited menu selection, you also will come out smelling like smoke. Don't come here if you're wearing business attire and have to go back to the office. You're going to smell and everyone will know where you've been. I always get a chuckle when I see people in their suits here for lunch.

It is usually empty at lunch so the service is multitudes better than at dinner time when it's packed. Parking at lunch isn't a hassle as there is no valet and you're free to park inside the lot.  On the other hand, parking is pretty hard to find at dinner time (apparently when everyone comes out to play), so you'll have to pay for valet or find something on the street.

I've also been here for dinner too. It's $17.99, but you have A LOT more choices of meat. The selection of meat doubles that of the lunch menu. Granted it is good, but I do feel bad eating those sides and not stuffing my face with pork ribs or bulgogi.

Overall, come to Tahoe if you've never had AYCE Korean BBQ. It's a laid-back experience that's great for groups, and will definitely leave you MORE than full.

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4

32

Peter L.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
12/22/2009

If you're thinking about all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ, this place should be at the top of your list.  Although there are dozens of AYCE Korean BBQ places in Ktown, this one stands out with it's above average food quality and selection, good service and reasonable price.

The pan chan here is pretty good with a nice selection of dishes, although, they don't change the selection very much.  The meat selection is fairly typical which includes bulgogi, galbi, chicken, pork, etc., but nothing too exotic like heart or tongue (at least to my knowledge).

The service is just ok, but it can be slow if the restaurant is really crowded.  If this is the case though, don't be shy about using the bell on the table...And although there's adequate ventilation, your clothes will still end up smelling of BBQ, so don't worry about dressing up too much.

As I mentioned earlier, this place gets crowded during the evenings...even with a reservation, you might have to wait about 30 minutes...also, parking is a couple of dollars.  However, even with these minor annoyances, I still make an effort to come here when I feel like stuffing myself with Korean BBQ.

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Elite '10

54

161

Juan F.

Studio City, CA

3 star rating
11/26/2009

This place is HUGE! - Don't be fooled by the facade on Wilshire Blvd.

I recently came here on a Wednesday night and the place was very busy. The food and service is excellent. The staff at this Korean BBQ restaurant also utilizes those headset walki-talkis to communicate with each other which makes things very efficient. Ask for something from one person, you quickly get it from someone else in just moments.

Our server recommend the AYCE (All You Can Eat) but we decided on just doing some kalbi ribs and another marinaded meat. The side dishes were plentiful and very tasty. They were actually a high point.

Next time, we'll definitely try the AYCE.

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Elite '10

10

225

Anna L.

NY

3 star rating
11/24/2009

After a four hour drive, what's better than pigging out on Korean food, going to bed early, and then walking up early for a beach run before a flight out of town?

$19/person AYCE.  I found the quality of the food to be MUCH better than the k-town here in NYC.  Great value too.  The wait was pretty long, almost an hour I believe?  I think it was worth it though.. service was pretty good and everything was tasty.  I would return, maybe go a bit earlier if schedule permitted to avoid the crowds.

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Photo of April C.

 

4

25

April C.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
1/20/2010

I love love love kbbq. A friend of mine loves this spot and took me here for dinner one night. I've since taken multiple out of town guests. I love brisket, but the brisket here isnt the best- the galbi on the other hand is awesome! the service is also great, which I think can be hard to come by sometimes at kbbq joints. The price is reasonable for AYCE- especially considering for a small additional charge per plate you can add shrimp, octopus, mussels, etc (which is great for non kbbq red meat fans!). I like that they have wine and other liquors other than just Hite, soju, and korean wine. I would say this is my second fave kbbq place thus far.

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5

15

tiffster m.

Las Vegas, NV

4 star rating
1/20/2010

Came here for a group dinner, they do valet parking and just tip them a dollar or two, foods excellent you don't come out smelling like kbbq the vents are strong.

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Photo of Allison T.

 

4

25

Allison T.

Northridge, CA

5 star rating
12/13/2009

All of my friends know that this is my favorite restaurant! I have been to around 4 or 5 different kbbq places but its still my favorite. This review is going to be for their all you can eat, which is around $20-5. Depending on how crowded it is service can be slow, but the service is usually pretty good. No mean koreans from what I experianced.

Btw I love their free egg soup haha!~

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Elite '10

190

195

susan h.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
11/18/2009

I bookmarked this place over a year ago and I finally made it.

Our group of 7 had a great dinner at Tahoe.  We found parking on the street and jaywalked to the backside where the entrance is.  The service was great (based on what I've heard, the service is a hit or miss but this night it was a HIT!).  

I was impressed with the quality of the meats for this AYCE.  The banchan was also good.  One side note...fish cake please!!  The steamed egg was perfect and yes...they brought out the soup.  I've had issues with Korean joints stiffing me on my soybean paste soup.  What? You think a Thai chick won't like the soup?  NO SOUP FOR YOU!  Anyhow, it was all good.

The price was totally right in this economy.  I would definitely return....very very hungry!

Oh, BTW you don't stank when you leave.  AWESOME!

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