it's sad to see your favorite restaurant die.. but that's what happening with this place. We visited 2 weeks ago, no 'hello' when we came in, the food was just okay, all the side dishes were kind of dry. Servers definitely didn't want to be there. So the quality of food & awful service make us feel the price too expensive. we are not going back. read more

Bulgogi is good. Beer is cold. Folks who work there are nice.

Walked in with a group of mommies. The restaurant only had one highchair so we couldnt get seated! So the employee looked at us and said sorry read more

Basis for my starred ratings (which skews heavily to the food or drink): 1 star: Never again. 2 stars: Poor food, poor experience, extraordinary measures in order for me to come back. 3 stars: Average, nothing really special, nothing particularly bad. 4 stars: Very good, would definitely return. 5 stars: A favorite, one of the best. Again, my reviews are based on comparisons nationwide. This place is fine. I could come back if convinced. Nothing was bad about this place, nothing was really great either, it was just a decent Korean meal. Unfortunately, comparing it the other Korean joints, even just in the Valley, doesn't quite gt to 4 stars. We ordered the kalbi tang and naeng myun. Nothing special, very average. The kalbi tang comes out looking impressive, it's nice and hot and the volume is good. The broth is a little thin. Full disclosure, I'm picky about my naeng myun being as my father is from the province in Korea where naeng myun was made most famous. This one was fine but lacked pizzazz and again, short on flavor in the broth. Also, for a place called Ban Chan, expected some really excellent ban chan. They are better than average here, especially compared to other Valley Korean restaurants. But then you compare it places in LA like Soban, and you can't give this place 4 stars. We did take an order of their pre-made ban chan home with us, the kae-nip jang-a-chi. It was pretty good, close to what my mom makes. But all in all, still giving this place a rating of very average. read more

If all you care about is taste, this place is good. But I can't get over my horrible experience last time. My boyfriend and I ordered one dish each. I got my dish kimchi stew about 15 mins later. And we kept waiting and waiting for his food to arrive - which was bulgogi btw. When I saw the huge group who arrive much later than us getting their food, I had already finished my food. I asked the waiter about it and he told me we didn't order the other dish! That really pissed me off. I distinctly remembered ordering his because my bf fumbled on saying bulgogi and I corrected it. That shameless man cannot get 2 orders right and tried to act like he did nothing wrong...AND made us wait another 20 mins before it came. Zero apologies and absolutely horrible attitude. read more

This is a great authentic Korean restaurant! It feels so comfortable and homey! Everything is made fresh and in house! Great service and kind waitresses. read more

I don't know what's up with some of the poor reviews, but this place rocked! We went for lunch on a whim. Just happened to drive by and decided "let's stop here." We haven't found very good Korean food in Chandler/Mesa since moving from Portland last year, but this was the best by far. Very generous lunch portions and very friendly owner. My 6 yr old gobbled up the bulgogi and fish cakes, my kalbi was amazing, and my hubby's spicy pork was delish. The mandu (sp?) was the best I've had in a long time and was so good with the house soy sauce with jalapeños in it. It's a little hidden gem of a place with a mom and pop feel. We will def be back. read more

Small - quaint family run Korean restaurant. I have a Korean son in law who just got into town. My husband saw this location and thought we should try it out. We had 6 of us there and ordered a lot! Spicy and non-spicy. All of it was wonderful with a lot of flavor and very fresh. The staff was excited to talk with my SIL and daughter in Korean however were always trying to keep all of us in the conversation too. I wasn't sure if I would like Korean food - I hadn't had a lot of it - but it was so good! I loved it and will definitely go back. I highly recommend it. read more

The restaurant is kinda hidden in the plaza on Dobson and Guadalupe. The place is small but clean. Service was good and we didn't have to wait to long for the food. We ordered some Gogi, spicy chicken, tofu soup and some Korean street tacos. Everything tasted delicious and the portions were generous. I highly recommend the Korean street tacos! read more

Babo Jumak - Kalbi Tacos - Korean Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

We decided to go here to try the Meat Jun. What a mistake! The meat was very tough and bland. We'll be sticking to Paradise Hawaiian BBQ for our meat jun cravings. Our dining experience wasn't pleasant since they didn't have their AC on. The waitress stated that it was a little broken but it seemed to me that they may just have been cutting down on operational cost especially seeing how slow it was at noon. On the plus side their yuk gae jang was delicious, better than takamatsu and hodori. I wish they served kimchi with it which I thought was quite odd. . read more

I don't understand why this place has a low rating! The food is amazing. The owner and his family are super nice and provide great service. I highly recommend this place to any Korean food lover. read more

It was really good food. I would definitely come back. The food was very delicious and it was similar to food I had eaten while in Korea. The wait time was a bit disappointing but it was a busy dinner rush so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. read more

Reasonable price small Korean restaurant. My favorite dish are the Kimchi fried rice and beef rib soup. Good noodle dishes too. read more

Came here because of the pictures of the Kalbi tacos and I've been craving some korean/mexican fusion due to the lack of Kogi trucks in my new state. Sadly that was only a temporary promotion/special so they weren't available and the food was just OK. There was a miscommunication with the server with one of the menu items and her recommendation (the soup stew) actually ended up being the best dish we had all night! read more

I went to eat here the other day just before dinner time. I've tried 2 other Korean restaurants and i think this place has a lot of potential. I was scared because the place was empty. Not a soul in the place empty. Mid meal people popped in. Korean people and they genuinely enjoyed the food so I finally understood how this place works. Atmosphere: it feels like a pop up restaurant with not a lot of thought put into it. If you can get past the old musty smell it might not be so bad. I grew up in a big family and found myself in the most humid places (Texas) so it didn't really bother me. It feels rundown but not quite hole in the wall just yet. The food: my sister and I split a tofu soup and bulgogi. I actually enjoyed the food a lot and it totally hit the spot. Tofu seafood soup had a deep seafood flavor but no signature egg but still lots of seafood in it and it was great. The bulgogi wasn't too dry, too sweet and they tenderized it so well and you still got these thick cuts of beef with great flavor. The service: homeboy was cool. He refilled our drinks, apologized for lack of Mountain Dew I wanted on a hot day and thanked us for coming in. The price: people always tell me Korean food is so pricey for each entree. But you get tons of side dishes and they are unlimited so I have no problems paying $9-$15 for a plate. If you had any idea all of the ingredients that go into these dishes it's worth it. read more

We went here for dinner on Saturday evening and we enjoyed it. Prices are not the cheapest but they give you a nice amount of food. These people are originally from Honolulu and I can tell by the taste that this is "Hawaiian style" Korean food. Another sure-fire giveaway is that they have meat jun on their menu. Although jun is an authentic Korean dish, you can never find it on the Mainland. Another favorite in Hawaii that is hard to find is bibimkooksoo. The food was tasty but I was somewhat disappointed in the banchan. While they gave us about 6 different varieties, they never asked if we wanted refills and the kim chee was rather weak in taste. read more

Best Korean meal so far. And believe me, I've tried almost all Korean restaurant in the valley. Love all the side dishes. Our Kalbis were tasty. Excellent service too. read more

Good and plentiful food. Good prices for amount you get. Only negative is their beverage selection was limited.non ice tea, and canned soda.

Reall korean homemade food!!! Best hole in the wall i have ever found definitely coming back !

The korean food restaurant Banchan is best Korean food in Arizona. I love this place. Definitely I will be back again!

Great Korean food. If you know you like Korean style food and you live in the Mesa Arizona area or are staying in the Mesa Arizona area then you should give this restaurant a try. The same goes for if you have wanted to try Korean style food and find yourself in the Mesa Arizona area - go to this place and enjoy some delicious food. I had the Bibimbob. Yum. read more

We stopped by this restaurant on the way back from Tucson this weekend. Some of our friends recommended it and we thought to give a try. We ordered the Kbbq combo. It has a spicy bbq pork dish, several kinds of fresh green vegetables and soup and many side dishes. It was so delicious. I think it is the best Korean food in town. Four of us were even able to finish the combo. Taste great with reasonable price. Definitely will stop by again and recommend to others. read more

Nice mom & pop restaurant with nice staff, good service, and great food for a great price! It's not fancy, but definitely cozy and comfortable. I highly recommend it! Support the little mom and pop businesses! read more

Best Korean food in Phoenix. Taste just like my Korean grandmas cooking. I ordered kimchi stew (kimchi jigae). My sister ordered hot stone bibimbap. I love kimchi jigae and this soup is the best I've had since Korea. The bibimbap was full of veggies and flavor. This place won't disappoint. Grab your friends and check it out. I'm a happy girl! read more

We were there last week and we order a set for three of us. And it is too much compared to the price! Totally WORTH IT! The foods were amazing. Hot pot and pancakes and fried meats. We love it! And the service was fantastic. It feels like the restaurant running by family. The owner also the people who serve us which is kind of weird but he is nice .Definitely want to go again. read more

This is a hidden gem in Arizona. Things are off to a great start when we tried out the ban chan. The HyeJang Soup and Bibim Nengmyun are my favorites. The soup is a vibrant, spicy red -- thickened by the long-stewed and bits of meat that have fallen off the bone. The meat have generous portions of tender that just slide off. The spices are accentuated by just the right amount of fat from the meat. read more

i was excited to see that a new Korean restaurant opened up and decided to drive over for dinner. Both the food and the service were very disappointing. The service was beyond terrible. I walked in and had to seat myself because no one gave me any direction. I sat there for five minutes and no one came over, so I went to get a menu myself. I waited for 10 minutes and still no one came over to take my order. There were two tables right next to mine, and the female server brought items to their tables while I was sitting there trying to get her attention. After 15 minutes of just sitting, eventually the male server came over and took my order. For a place called "Ban Chan", their ban chan is not only very limited, but gross. There were a total of 4 side dishes, 3 of which were odd and inedible. The cooked turnip had a very fishy taste to it, then there were the mushy/flavorless collared greens, the picked vegetable and pickled turnip were just not good. All of the side dishes were lukewarm. I ordered Haemul Pajun (Seafood pancake); it was thick and full of undercooked green onion.The Kalbitang was very salty. It was a very disappointing meal. read more

All the meat, soup, and noodle dishes I had were pretty good. Definitely not the best I have had (considering I have been to Korean about 20 times), but by far the best in Arizona hands down (I have been to Cho Dang, Takamatsu, Hodori, Gogi, and Korean BBQ). This place just opened up a little over a week ago, so I am writing this review based on my three experiences there. The staff is friendly, the service is good, and the decor is... Well, let's just say that the food definitely makes up for the decor; keep in mind that it is a restaurant, not an art gallery. read more

I adore Korean food, This was my least favorite. For a new restaurant it was dingy and used looking. Very sparse. The menu was deposited on the table, no drinks were offered only a lukewarm water glass. We ordered the combo, chose the spicy pork bulgogi, and the short ribs. What a disappointment. We always patron Takamatsu's but decided to try this as it was new and the ratings were good. If you are not Korean, the portions are pathetic, for 21.99 we were given what I would expect as a meager lunch portion. I noticed that others that ordered the same dishes were given much larger portions, and also given much more personal attention. We stated that it was our first time, but it made no difference. What a shame as when we love a restaurant we spread the word. The same is true for when we do not like a restaurant only we tell more people. read more

The most authentic Korean restaurant in Arizona!! Love the food, the service, the atmosphere. The food is delicious, high quality, and great portions! Prices are very reasonable and worth it! If you're ever craving Korean food, this is the place to go! read more

It's a small family owned restaurant but the food is great! The side dishes (ban chan) is good and they give you a variety. Their kalbi tang is really flavorful too! read more

Great food! Price is not bad compared to many other Korean restaurants. Awesome service and best of all the food was great will be going again for sure read more

The food here is authentic. I ordered bulgogi for lunch and it was fresh and flavorfull. I have only found food better in Korea.

Good authentic Korean food place. The portions are a bit small for dinner considering their "dinner" price. The waiter was super animated and was pretty attentive to our needs. They did run out of lettuce which was a disappointment. The decor and ambiance of the place could be improved some. read more

I didn't think I'd like this place by reading all the mixed reviews. But I am very happy that I went in. My son who has become a very picky eater was already upset when we walked into the establishment. He wanted American food and wore a frown on his face. We got a very mild tofu soup for him. Ordered the Meat Jun, bbq chicken and Panjeon too. We were amazed to see how much banchan was served. Most places serve 4, but we had 8, and they were all delicious. My son's face lit up when he saw the potato banchan. I gave him some chicken and Meat Jun. He didn't care to eat his tofu soup. He was all over that Meat Jun. My son doesn't really care for Korean food but that Meat Jun won his heart. My husband is now a big fan too. We found out the server is from Hawaii, and that was a big plus too. He served us with that big Aloha spirit. We will certainly dine here again. read more

They've changed the menu a number of times as well as the quality of the food. Not sure why Korean restaurants in AZ just can't get it right. read more

They really care about your experience. One of the best Korean restaurants if you're looking for authentic. Their Kalbi and Bulgogi dishes are amazing. Delicious food, side dish was really good. Good flavor, great service. We had stone rice and it was Delicious. read more

A male maybe is the manager, is very rude to his customer. When we ask for a refill of side dishes, he is very unhappy and said: no more, last one. Alright, then I will give you one star. Every Korea restaurant will have free refill for side dishes, if you restaurant don't have just let you customer know, don't let me feel uncomfortable about it. read more

Meat jun was on point here. Not greasy and bangin flava. Only downside is the dinner prices. A bit steep. Aside from that I'll definitely be bringing back my Korean bitches. Fa sho. Now leave Korean Jesus alone! He ain't got time for your problems! He busy, doin Korean shit! read more

My favorite Korean restaurant in Arizona now. We were leary to try it because we arrived at 830 on a Wednesday night and the open sign was off and there were no customers at all. Also, the yelp reviews were mixed but we decided to try it anyway. The Kalbi was well marinated, it wasn't overly sweet like most restaurants. All the small Kim chi dishes were the best I've had at a Korean restaurant in Arizona. I always complain that the Kim chi in AZ restaurants suck. This is a very authentic Korean restaurant with many dishes I've never seen offered at most Korean places. With that being said...be careful when ordering some of the more interesting dishes because you may not be used to it. For example, we got the stir fry octopus which I LOVED! But it is very very chewy...so it's not for everyone. We also got the cold noodles with skate and squid. The skate is like a salted raw fish with all the skate cartilage intact. We LOVED it and will be back!! read more