Palace BBQ Buffet

3/25/2016

As I come to post my review, I am saddened to learn that this place has closed. The galbi ribs and the bulgolgi were enough for me to want to come back. A variety of stuff doesn't interest me as much as a few items that are excellent (although the buffet does offer many other little appetizers, seafood to grill, and pork belly). Banchan here wasn't too impressive but I'm a carnivore first, so it's not a big deal for me, hahah.

Excellent price for what you get here. Maybe too cha and not enough profit is why they closed =(

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  Bulgolgi

  Bulgolgi
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  Galbi

  Galbi
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  Sides & Appteizers

  Sides & Appteizers

11/3/2015

• 1 check-in

Seated immediately on a Friday night, awesome! About $30 per person for weekend AYCE dinner.

I immediately made my way to the buffet. I had intended to grab a bucket of meat, but I got distracted by all the other sides they had to offer.

Sides:
- Bland, mediocre sushi
- Seaweed salad
- Banchan (kimchi, namul, etc)
- Chow mein
- Egg rolls
- Sweet and sour pork
- Potato salad
- Variety of soups (miso, seaweed, etc)

Meat:
- Spicy pork was my favorite
- BBQ beef and short ribs were great
- Baby octopus and squid was tasty
- Shrimp was meh
- Chicken was decent, but not memorable
- Pork belly was tough and bland
- Didn't try the tripe or gizzard

Dessert:
- Fruit (grape, pineapple, melon)
- Soft serve, in which you have to walk up to the counter and ask the server for it

Drinks:
- Usual soft drinks
- Sapporo
- Cinnamon punch had a great kick to it but I could only handle a few sips before it burned
- Sweet rice punch was definitely the winner! I drank like 3 cups.

This place is mostly self-serve so don't expect extraordinary service, which I didn't. As long as our waters were filled, we were satisfied. Grill was a bit too small and heat was definitely uneven.

I didn't like how the server came by after only an hour (and no where near closing time) and asked if we were done cooking. I clearly replied, "No" but she turned off our grill anyways and brought us the check. Alright, I get the hint...

Overall it was nothing special and I'd rather spend the money on AYCE sushi.

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  My favorite sides.

  My favorite sides.
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  On the grill.

  On the grill.
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  Meat!!!

  Meat!!!
• See all photos from Cindy C. for Palace BBQ Buffet

9/17/2015

• 1 check-in

I have heard about Palace BBQ as a pretty decent kbbq spot but I thought it was just okay -- pretty pricey ($30/dinner) for subpar kbbq. It's a spacious restaurant with lots of seating so we didn't have to wait when we arrived at 8:30pm on Sunday. They have quite a selection of meats for you to select and bring back to your table to grill. In terms of ready-to-eat food there was japchae, variety of kimchi, sushi rolls, rice, soup, and fruits.

We tried the spicy pork, beef tongue, brisket, pork belly, shrimp, and kalbi (short ribs). The meat was on the rougher side except for the kalbi which was very well seasoned and tender. I just had my fill of kalbi, ate a few banchan sides, and called it a night. The grill was not the easiest to cook on since the heat was not distributed properly -- it seemed we could only eat food that was cooked on the left side of the grill.

In summary --
Pros: lots of seating (minimal waiting), lots of open space which means you don't leave smelling like kbbq, kalbi was delicious

Cons: Other than kalbi, the rest of the meat was so-so (a bit rough)

Unlikely to return.. I'll just wait until the hype (and line) dies down at the Gen Korean BBQ

6/15/2015

• 1 check-in

A friend recommended Palace BBQ to me so I have been waiting and waiting to come eat here. Finally, yesterday was the day! I was expecting there to be a wait to get a table. But we walked in at noon on a Sunday and half the restaurant was open.. Luckily I was hungry so I was totally happy with this.

Palace BBQ is the type of buffet where you go to the buffet line and grab your raw meat yourself. I assume they have less selection for lunch - which was just beef tongue, brisket, pork belly, squid, chili pork, bbq beef, and chicken. The only thing I was interested in was the beef, and since I only grabbed one I thought I might as well try the chicken too. In the other buffet lines they have sushi, cooked food, side dishes, soups, rice, fruit and jello, and a couple drinks like sweet rice punch and cinnamon punch!

The grill is small and it's smoky. They never came to change it once. The beef was surprisingly really good! The entire time I just ate beef, radish, kimchee radish, and jobchae. I didn't fill myself up 100% since we were planning to go for dessert, but I easily could have thanks to the AYCE option.

I think I definitely overhyped this place in my mind, which is unfortunate. Or maybe it's better at dinner time. But for now I'm still going to stick with my favorite BBQ place that I only have to drive 7 minutes to get to..

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• See all photos from Ashley C. for Palace BBQ Buffet

4/19/2015

My family and I love this place. It is quite the drive from SF but we try to plan our activities out in this area.

The AYCE has gone up in price a bit but I think it's still a great deal. The spicy pork, spicy squid, fried tempura and pickled radishes are all very good.

Come on your bday with a valid ID and receive a free meal ;)

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  As of 4-2015

  As of 4-2015

4/13/2016 Updated review

• Listed in Yelp 100 Challenge 2016

Post closing eulogy special edition:

Palace BBQ

Usually when I hear about a place that closes that means something to me, I feel compelled to write an eulogy to give proper respect during their existence. In the case of Palace BBQ, I was torn. I stopped giving my business when they stopped doing kalbi during the lunch service. Yeah yeah I know profit margins and escalating food costs...but I wasn't a dinner customer so there was a low chance that I'd ever go back.

The past few weeks I drove by at night and saw the place dark around 9pm. Oh no...looks like they closed shop but I refused to believe it. Only after checking Yelp did I realize that it was true.

So long and farewell Palace BBQ for many years of good meats and clothing that smelled like meat too.

3/29/2015

• 2 check-ins

Mmmmm. Korean meat heaven!

Having been to Palace a bunch of times when he was younger, the roommate decided to revisit and organized a family dinner. Being a huge fan of Korean BBQ and all things meat, I made the drive to SJ for dinner. We went on a Sunday night, so dinner was $29.99 each for adults.

My buffet strategy? Start off with the meat! They offered the following meats for grilling.
*Bbq beef
*Spicy pork
*Short rib
*Spicy chicken
*Beef tripe
*Beef brisket
*Pork belly
*Seasoned beef
*Chicken gizzard
*Spicy squid
*Baby octopus
*Shrimp
*Pork tongue
*Chicken teriyaki

My favorite was the short rib. Pieces were on the smaller side, but it was AYCE, so I didn't care. I just grabbed a huge plate. The roommate's fam really enjoyed the spicy pork. They also give you lettuce, ssamjang, jalapenos and garlic so you can make your own wraps.

They had a section with banchan and various cooked dishes.
*Egg roll
*Happy family
*Sweet & sour pork
*Steam mussel
*Fried rice
*Steam pork belly
*Potato salad
*Vegetable noodle
*Cucumber kimchi
*Kim chi
*Radish kimchi
*Spice crab
*Spicy squid
*Bean jello
*Bean sprout
*Chow mein
*Fried yellow croaker
*Beef meatball
*Green bean
*Fried chicken

It's worth it to get one plate from this section so you can try a little bit of everything. The roommate actually grabbed a plate so we could share. Plus, I love spicy crab and spicy squid. And the kimchee is great in wraps!

There were other stations like Soups: Miso, Seaweed, Pumpkin, etc, and a station in the middle with sushi, cold noodles, fruit, etc. I didn't really try much there as I wanted to eat the meat! Don't forget dessert as they have soft serve. I grabbed some strawberries and made my own sundae.

You will walk away smelling like BBQ and your tummy will be very happy about it!

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  Fruit & Soft serve

  Fruit & Soft serve
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  Pork belly & Short rib

  Pork belly & Short rib
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  Beef tripe, Chicken gizzard, Spicy squid, Baby octopus, Pork tongue

  Beef tripe, Chicken gizzard, Spicy squid, Baby octopus, Pork tongue
• See all photos from Elena N. for Palace BBQ Buffet

9/6/2015

• 1 check-in

No kalbi no shrimp only some frozen squid so so meats and so so other stuff.

I rather pay $40 or $50 Buffett for better quality .

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  This is all kimchee variety

  This is all kimchee variety

8/12/2015

• 1 check-in

Ok this place gets.

4 stars for food quality
2 stars for service

Would have gotten another bump up IF the service was a bit better. Mind you that I came in with a group of 3 at about 11:40pm, so it was not even busy during this time or while we were eating.

There is A LOT of variety of meats to choose from, spicy chicken, teriyaki chicken, pork belly, spicy pork belly, beef brisket, beef -- along with other buffet options - vegetable tempura, sushi, fried rice, egg roll, steam rice.

There are NO sides here, but I guess the buffet portion makes up for it.
The meat quality is pretty good, as I said about 4 stars.

The servers only came by 4 times at our table. Twice to change the charred grill, and twice to take our dirty plates after the initial sit down. They were not very attentive to us or any other table around us. All I wanted was some more sesame oil sauce...The grills here are fairly small too, I cannot put all the meat I got at once, I have to take my time to eat while I wait for some to cook and put more on after...

I would definitely eat here again, but I am glad it is self-serve as the servers do not come by often enough to refill your sauce, take your plates, or even refill your drinks.

Lunch came out to be 18$/person, 68$ for 3 people and 3 drinks.
*TIP* - During lunch there is NO FROZEN YOGURT SERVED... so lame...

11/11/2014

• 1 check-in

• Listed in 2014 Reviews, Sunnyvale, CA

MEAT MEAT MEAT! ALL YOU CAN EAT!

It's sizzling here... and smokey! Get your hands dirty while grilling your meat at the table grille, and let your clothes soak up the fine scent of Korean BBQ. Get it all in.

The meat bar - delicious! BBQ pork, ribs, octopus, shrimp, chicken - you got it. Take as much as you like.

The sides - delightful and great variety but PRIORITIES, PLEASE! Leave the sides aside and stick to the MEAT. That's what we are here for.

FroYo for free, soft drinks not. Plenty of parking, no reservations.

Great All-You-Can-Eat Korean BBQ around. Full stop.

11/23/2015

• 3 check-ins

AYCE KBBQ!!!

Do those letters mean nothing to you? If so, then move along. If they mean everything to you, then keep reading.

All-you-can-eat Korean BBQ means meat, meat, and more MEAT. You know that primal carnivorous feeling that you have inside of you sometimes when you see a piece of meat? That instinct that tells you to just dig in and rip it apart with your teeth? Well, dear Yelpers, you can let those urges loose here. You can grab plateful after plateful of raw meat and then cook it to perfection at your table. You can choose a variety of slices; from bulgogi beef and teriyaki chicken to pork belly and ox tongue. (There's also a variety of hot food and soups for those of you who are more omnivorous.) After all of that carnaging, cool yourself down with a cup of sweet rice punch and fruit.

Palace BBQ also offers free birthday meals (with the purchase of another meal at full price, of course; sorry, no lone birthday dinners here!). It's quite a deal to know that you and your party can sit down for an unlimited time and eat until your bellies are bursting. The price is $19 for lunch and $30 for dinner; the latter is definitely pretty costly, and I haven't found the price difference to be worth it, so we usually go for lunch.

And don't try to go to Palace without your friends or family and pretend you didn't. You'll come back smelling like BBQ all over your body; clothes, hair, skin, EVERYTHING. Smoky and delicious.

11/19/2014

• 1 check-in

Honestly, I was afraid to come here for lunch on a weekend because of other reviews saying it is not a good as dinner.
Don't worry about those reviews, its $18.99/person and the selection is still huge.

Lunch:
-There's no short ribs, sorry guys
-Spicy pork, chicken, Teriyaki beef and chicken, pork blood, etc.
-All the different assortment of ban-chans (jelly, seaweed, kimchi, etc)
-Hot entrees of chow mein, friend rice, sushi, sesame chicken, etc
-Cold fruits, puddings, rice drinks, soba noodles, etc
-Hot soups: seaweed soup, pumpkin soup (TRY IT), etc

Overall, it was worth the price! No time limit, attentive service (it was the opposite of the other reviews), and a family of happy tummies! Don't be too picky or have super high expectations, then you'll be fine!

Come early, the line starts 20-40 minutes before opening! Although it's for lunch it still gets packed! Beware!

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  Current prices

  Current prices

1/14/2016

• Listed in Best AYCE KBBQ

This place is good for short ribs. I literally ate nothing else. Its a little more expensive than other KBBQs. $30 for AYCE Dinner. They also have chinese food buffet in there, but I had none of that. I ate here in 2012.

I hear this place is now closed. It didnt seem super crowded when I was here on a Friday night back when I ate here. Nor has it been crowded when I shopped next door at Hankook Korean supermarket every so often.

10/6/2015

UNBELIEVABLE. The PRICE went DOWN recently but still serve with best quality foods! Can't be better. Must come.

They have about 10~12 different kinds of meat choices and so far they used most delicious marinated sauce than other BBQ buffets.
If you want to try diverse Korean side dishes too, I think this is the perfect choice. If you're planning to come on dinner time you MUST try famous SPICY-RAW-CRAB with rice.

..Now no reason to hesitate since the price has changed.

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  ****The price went down people!!! They lowered the price since today 9/29 :D

  ****The price went down people!!! They lowered the price since today 9/29 :D
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  Celebrate your birthday here!

  Celebrate your birthday here!

7/17/2015

• 1 check-in

• Listed in Table-Top Korean BBQ Spots

It looked so appealing from the photos. The grab-it-and-serve-it-yourself concept seemed so tempting. Breathing in the appetizing aroma nearly clinched the deal for an awesome time..

but damn -- expectations were not met..

Maybe I held them too high having experienced plenty of other Korean BBQ AYCE elsewhere. Coming in here felt more like dining in our local dreary buffet (not to completely bash on that, at times that weird craving sets in). I needed and wanted more oomph from this restaurant: service, selection, quality, and table-top grilling experience.

The beef was probably the only thing that made an effort. It was succulent and very flavorful. However, no matter how good LeBron James is, a champion needs the supporting cast. Kudos to you bulgogi! Maybe one day your draft picks will come.

LUNCH (11:30 - 3 pm)

Weekday (Tue-Fri):
Adult: $16.99 + tax
Child (5-10 yrs): $8.99 + tax

Weekend (Sat-Sun):
Adult: $18.99 + tax
Child: $9.99 + tax

DINNER (5 pm - 10 pm)

Weekday (Tue-Thur):
Adult: $29.99 + tax
Child: $14.99 + tax

Weekend (Fri-Sun):
Adult: $29.99 + tax
Child: $14.99 + tax

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• See all photos from Kurt C. for Palace BBQ Buffet

6/28/2014

• 4 check-ins

• Listed in My Taste Buds Think They're Korean

Not bad not bad. Definitely a higher price tag than some kbbq places in the area but worth at least one try.

The concept is really what gives it 4 stars because I think this is the only place around here that works in a "get your own meat buffet style" way.

Service was great for us during our visit. Very on top of refilling drinks, changing the grill and getting us what we needed.

I like that their food area had other items besides just meat and side dishes. There were also things like egg rolls, sweet rice drinks, sushi, kimbap, fried rice, fruits, sweet and sour pork, soup, spicy fried chicken and other random goodies.

The restaurant itself is huge with lots of tables. We didn't have to wait long but if you ever do happen to run into a wait, they have the most seats designated for waiting that I've ever seen.

5/11/2014

• 3 check-ins
• ROTD 6/18/2014

• Listed in Gangnam Style Food!?!, Too lazy to BBQ at home?!?

Where's the meaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?....It's here at Palace BBQ Buffet!!!
***Best Korean BBQ AYCE Buffet in the Bay Area****

Have you ever been to a Korean place and paid an arm and leg for BBQ Short Ribs and you're left wanting more/unsatisfied?....I know I have!?!....At Palace BBQ you can eat as many short ribs your fat gut can hold and trust me that's actually what I did here!!!

Step 1: Walk in and wait to be seated.

Step 2: Once seated, order your drinks (they also have beer here)

Step 3: Grab a plate and go try the appetizers first (yes the meat is very tempting but wait till Step 5)

Step 4: Eat your apps. and get your grill warmed up by the hostess

Step 5: Grab a another plate and Beast Mode yourself towards the meat!!!

Types of Meat:
BBQ Beef
Short Ribs
Spicy Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken
Chicken Gizzard
Spicy Pork
Pork Belly
Beef Brisket

Step 6: Don't forget to try other items like: Pumpkin Soup, Tripe, and Shrimp.

Step 7: Unbutton your pants, breathe!?!

Step 8: Eat, Eat, and Eat some more!

Step 9: Have Alex L serve you some vanilla yogurt from the yogurt machine

This place is the ultimate place if you are looking to get your meat fix.  I've been to other all you can Korean Buffets, but this place is hands down the best Korean BBQ AYCE Buffet in the bay area!

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  Can never have enough short ribs!?!

  Can never have enough short ribs!?!
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  Taste Rubbery!?!

  Taste Rubbery!?! stwvbaqedecsrstvcczeyfa
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  Meat and more Meat!?!

  Meat and more Meat!?!
• See all photos from Deep S. for Palace BBQ Buffet

4/11/2015

Palace BBQ Buffet is a great place to go if you're looking to give yourself a mighty case of the meat sweats.  The buffet is packed with Korean marinaded chicken, pork and beef.  The accompaniments are pretty sparse.  I would like to have traditional Korean side dishes served at the table, this would improve things a lot for me.

The quality is pretty good but not special, but like most buffets it's more about the quantity -- all you care to cook for yourself on the little grill in the middle of your table.  The concept is cute, just like Yakuniku, but you're out to eat, so why are YOU doing the cooking?  It's a lot of work to socialize, cook and eat all at the same time.

It gets packed during peak hours because we all loves the gluttony.  It's not a bargain, but Korean food never is (except maybe that Sweet Potato Stall guy in K-Town, but I digress....).

Bottom line:  if you want to go big at the buffet and it's Korean flavor you crave, Palace BBQ Buffet is the place to be.  Good in a bad way....

2/22/2015

• 1 check-in

• Listed in 2015 Yelp 100 Challenge, South Bay - Birthday!

OMG! For $30 per adult on a weekend dinner night, you better come HUNGRY. Though pricey, you can get your $30 worth of food. They have several beef, pork, chicken and seafood options for your grill.

As with all DIY dining experiences, you better bring a good cook with you to help cook everything to perfection. There are other food options that are already cooked too, but the draw is the raw meat bar. (insert giggle).

Pro-tip: Don't invite the vegetarian, let alone the vegan.
Pro-tip: Come here ON YOUR BIRTHDAY for birthday boy/girl's birthday for their free meal.
Pro-Tip: Clean your plate because they will charge you for wasting food.
Pro-tip: Bring that less than 5 year old because they get to eat for free. Otherwise its $15 per kid.

2/17/2014

• 2 check-ins

Meh.  I wish I could say I was impressed, but the lunch selection leaves more to be desired ($17.99/weekend).  Other than the spicy pork, beef brisket, pork belly, and bulgogi, there aren't really a lot of options meat-wise for lunch.  Sure, they have beef tripe, pork tongue (if I remember correctly), and spicy chicken, but those aren't meats you go to for a kbbq establishment.  We were informed short rib is only for dinner service, so boooo for that.

They also have a buffet selection of soups (didn't really pay attention which soups they had), fried rice, chow mein, spicy tofu, egg rolls, sushi rolls, etc...but I steered clear to fill my stomach for meat.  We arrived fairly late around 2 PM, but I felt like I was being rushed as their lunch service technically ends at 3 PM, but they started taking all the food away at 2:40!  

The waitress we had wasn't attentive; we had to flag her down a couple times to change our grill, and had to ask for the different types of sauces for the meats.  Since they were closing, she gave us our bill midway through our meal, and after we had tipped her, she disappeared!  Probably won't be coming back here as the price tag is not worth it for their selections.