Writing this from the counter of Babo because it's just that good. Maybe I'm incredibly biased (Korean food & fried rice are my life) but the food here was amazing. I had the Beef Bulgogi and Kimchi Fried Rice. Chef's kiss. AND the service was good AND the vibe was good. Loved the funky music and the decor. Such a cool little hole in the wall. You'd miss it if you weren't intending to end up here! Bring your friends and grab a bite ASAP read more

Babo Korean Bar - Kimchi Fried Rice - Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Absolutely fabulous from start to finish. Pretty empty for an early dinner but I'm sure it gets a lot busier in the evenings. Our server gave great recommendations and guided us through the menu really well. The food was incredible! Definitely need to come back to try more. Super cool vibe & really funky (but delish) dessert !! read more

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You know who sent me here....Tik Tok. Good ole tik tok seems to be the driver behind my visits lately. This establishment opens at 5pm. Be sure to walk through the blue door, if you plan to dine in. When you walk in you'll find close-set tables, a dimly lit, hidden gem feel with hums of conversation, shared plates, and Soju flowing at the bar. Give the grape soju. So good! The portions are generous and can easily be shared. For apps we ordered the dumplings and banchan & kimchi. Both were great choices and light enough to not fill you up before getting the main courses. We really wanted to try the Hedo Bap(only available Mon-Thur) but they ran out prior to us ordering. I highly suggest getting there between 5-6 to ensure you get to try it. Kimchi Fried Rice w/ added seasoned beef 8/10 (a fried egg on top is always the cherry on top) Korean Fried Chicken with both sauces (the gochujang w/tofu ranch was superior) 10/10 Glass Noodle 7/10; texture was very slippery, but still very good packed with veggies and a great flavor palette. I will def be back to try the Hedo Bap! read more

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The name caught my eye(lol) and coming from Hawai'i and living in Korea I was super excited to try! Bar is typical korean bar and also clean and welcoming. Food is catered to this region. It's the only place 1 diner bulgogi has been offered which is good for nashville, but not typical. Does it taste like Korea? No. But the staff is friendly, I enjoyed everything, and aapi spaces need to be preserved in Nashville. read more

First restuarant we dined out once moving to east nash and did noy disappoint. Food was flavorful and although portions are not huge we left feeling full. Good date night spot read more

As someone coming from California, this is not korean food . We were so excited to try it out because we saw so many tiktok's hyping it up but we couldn't finish our plates. The beef dumplings were alright, those we finished! But the scallion pancakes were actual pancakes with a pinch of scallion in them; nothing like the fried flaky standard flavorful scallion pancakes The beef and chicken were cooked well! But the beef bulgogi had no flavor and the friend chicken (half Gochujang and half sweet garlic) were nasty. The sauces were inedible. The rice was good tho! If you have ever had korean food make by korean people, you will not like this place. They were nice people tho and we really wish we could've had better things to say! read more

Babo Korean Bar - beef bulgogi and fried chicken - Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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We loved this spot! Ordered a few things like the kimchi, bulgogi, loaded potato and fried chicken. All were really yummy and came out pretty fast. Would definitely recommend! read more

Babo Korean Bar - kimchi, bulgogi, loaded potato and fried chicken - Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Such a cute, yummy Korean BBQ spin! It doesn't seem like a true Korean spot on first look - but never judge a book by its cover. The options are definitely more limited than a traditional spot but no restrictions on flavor. Excellent flavorful dishes with such a lively vibe is how I'd describe it. The beef bulgogi was good but fried/breaded chicken was the star of the show. A must try. If you're super hungry, get two dishes. Would definitely return to try more! read more

Babo Korean Bar - Beef Bulgogi - Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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The food is to die for, the drinks are great, we've been coming for the past year and really enjoyed this restaurant in the neighborhood. That being said, we've noticed a dramatic change in their portion sizes and pricing. We sadly won't be returning because it's honestly shocking the portion size of the meal we had, when we had left 6 months ago feeling satisfied with the portions sizes. I guess I can see how they might be leaning more into small bites as a business to attract more bar-goers? Anyways, service is fab! read more

I drive by this spot almost every day since moving t East Nashville, but had no idea what it was. My parents were visiting and noticed on the maps it said it was a Korean restaurant. My parents live in Korea for a time and love the food, so we had to try it. My mom said it was the best bulgogi she's had since they moved back! We've now gone several times as it's a must-visit when they're in town, plus I recommend it to all my friends. Will def be back (my parents will guarantee that)! read more

Okay, let's start with the main thing. The food was excellent. Super tasty. Yes, Korean, but different too. Delicious and decent portions. Service was also very good. Attentive, friendly, helpful. Ambiance was fine. This isn't the place you take someone for a romantic, quiet evening. But that's not the point of Babo. I spent several days in Nashville this trip. Babo was my favorite restaurant because of the excellence of the food plus good service and decent prices. Will eat there again. read more

Six of us lucked into finding this gem on a Saturday night at 6. They got us in right away and we had excellent service. We ordered several appetizers and entrees and shared between the table. Every single thing was so tasty! We had bibimbap, half and half chicken, bulgogi, loaded pancake, and several other items. Everything was delicious! I had never had the Korean pancake before and it's lived rent free in my head all weekend. So good!! And reasonably priced! read more

Babo Korean Bar - Cool corner booth - Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Top to bottom wonderful experience! Easy to park, was greeted and sat in seconds, bartender was awesome. Food was delicious. Atmosphere and vibe 10/10! read more

Love Babo! Cannot wait to go in and sit down for dinner- as opposed to take out. We ordered easily and the pick up process was smooth. The kimchi fried rice was a hit! The beef bulgogi was also good, but I think next time I will try the chicken instead. Looked super cool on the inside. read more

The staff here is really friendly and the patrons are never lacking, and though there is a decent size menu of custom cocktails and drinks the actual quality is rock bottom. Tried a few different drinks, two from the menu and were only okay and another (a mojito) was an off-menu item, please don't order one, it was the worst I've ever had. If I were only meeting friends for beer here, the selection's not terrible so that might make it a better choice, however, they are apparently known for their cocktails so I was very surprised to be disappointed. read more

Not authentic at all! Food was overpriced and too salty . Only giving it two stars bc our server was nice but other than that pls , there's so many other better spots for cheaper prices. read more

What a cool vibe! Service was at such a great enjoyable pace at the bar and oh ya! Food was flavorful and delicious!

Awesome place! Great vibe, reasonably priced food, and the food tastes very fresh and delicious. Chicken was super tender and beef bulgogi was so juicy. Will be back. read more

We stumbled upon Babo after a long day of sightseeing. It was a little bit hard to find at night because the sign is so small. Our server was friendly and our drinks were never empty. My friend needed to charge her phone and they gave her a power plug which was really nice of them. The food was hit and miss. The glass noodles were our favorite by far. Large serving and so so flavorful. The kimchi fried rice was on the smaller side and the rice was crunchy which we weren't a fan of. The bibimbap was pretty tasty but the loaded pancake was not the best. It was loaded with so many toppings that it made it really soggy. The beef dumplings were delicious! I would still recommend Babo because of their great service! Next time I go, I'll try some of their drinks. read more

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Hidden little place in East Nashville with amazing food! Unassuming from the outside but don't underestimate! Glass noodle is my absolute fav! The vibe is busy and loud - and they do Karaoke read more

What great find in East Nashville. It beats the high prices in downtown. Prices are reasonable. Their happy hour is awesome. Food is incredible. Great service. Love the ambiance. Will be back! read more

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Was excited to find more Korean food options in Nashville! Have been here a few times and am always shocked by the bill. Even one or two small bar food items or drinks end up being pretty pricey. The food is not authentic Korean food or very high quality, but the kimchi is pretty good. read more

Babo Korean Bar - Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Very disappointing Korean food unfortunately and not authentic. I saw a lot of great reviews so I was excited, but I have to stick to my local Korean food places instead. I got the Korean fried chicken for the table to share and it looked really good, but they were a burst of salt. Wayyy too salty. I thought it was just me but my whole table couldn't finish it since it was just straight up salt. My friend got the dumplings and they were indeed handmade, but very bland. For entrees, I got the beef bibimbap and it had a good mixture of veggies and meat, but again, way too salty. It was drenched in the gochujang sauce. I think they added vinegar to the gochujang, which I didn't like. More of a bar than restaurant vibe. The drinks were good. I got the lychee martini and it was strong and yummy. The staff and our waitress was super nice though! read more

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Tried the Bulgogi...it was good, not super authentic Korean but good. The kimchi was really good...I'd go back just for the kimchi. It was a Friday evening and early so the service was fast and really friendly. If I were Local it would be my new favorite hangout. :-) read more

Been going to Babo for about year now and I always get the Korean Fried Chicken as it's a really good portion of food. Unfortunately, they went from 5 big chicken strips to nuggets and far less chicken. A few pieces I had were mostly bread with very little chicken. Really disappointed as the meal is about $20 when ordered online. Not to mention all the add on fees, so about $30. $30 for a few chicken nuggets. Really unfortunate as I loved their food but can't justify the cost for the amount of food. read more

Very good Korean food. I got the glass noodles and they were great. My cocktail i had was also delicious. It's a small place but very cozy and perfect for an Asian comfort meal. I sat at the bar and had great service. Never felt bombarded by the bartender but didn't lack service either. Great spot read more

I went to Babo on a whim recently. It's definitely a small spot with limited parking. Going to the bar was the easiest way for me to get immediate service since there were a couple of spots open. My husband was hanging with a friend, so dining solo wasn't an issue for me. For dinner, I opted for the beef bulgogi, which was fantastic - flavorful and seasoned well - I just wanted more of it when I was done to take home. Sake was good. I decided on that after seeing their sake bomb being advertised. It is more reasonable to get a regular sake than the sake bomb. Do as you wish, but that's my suggestion. I appreciated being able to sit at the bar and chat with the bartender while I ate. She was nice and offered some suggestions on what to try on my next visit in. I also had the chance to talk to a co-owner of the restaurant, to my surprise. He was nice and told me how the concept of the place came about. The best part was that the restaurant wasn't too crowded. It still had enough people but did not feel too congested, especially since bar seating removed me from the main dining area. But what really stood out to me was the level of customer service I received. The bartender was attentive, and the co-owner was really cool. I had a nice low-key time at Babo Korean Bar. It's a great spot to go with friends or alone, have some great Korean food, and enjoy a calm and relaxed atmosphere. I highly recommend the beef bulgogi, the sake, and the wonderful customer service! read more

Babo Korean Bar - Warm saké - Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

The place may look unassuming from the outside, but the food is outstanding. We tried a variety of dishes, including dumplings, kimchi fried rice, glass noodles, pork katsu, bulgogi and fried chicken - everything was delicious. The hot barley tea with lemon and honey was on point as well. read more

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Went here unexpectedly and it was everything. It's not a lot of Korean food here in Nashville, but everything was super delicious. I ordered the kimchi fried rice, the Korean fried chicken, which was actually thighs instead of wings which I really enjoyed, and I had to buy some. I got a bunch of leftover food well worth the price will be back. Highly recommend. read more

Great service, our waiter was super friendly. But i wish I had never came in the first place. I would rather eat at a fast food place than this mess they call a kimchi fried rice. Nothing about this restaurant has anything to do with Korean other than the Korean characters they hung on the wall to emphasize that they are a Korean restaurant. Mediocre would be a compliment to this restaurant. I sincerely apologize for all the Koreans that came here. read more

We checked out Babo just as they were opening on a Saturday night, and as the restaurant quickly filled up we soon learned why people were flooding in so quickly! We enjoyed the happy hour drink specials before our meal. Everything we ordered for dinner was so hot and fresh, you can see the steam coming off the food in some of my pictures! The scallion pancake was more like a normal thin pancake than the greasy, flaky ones you'd get at a Chinese takeout place, it was different but delicious. My vegetarian partner loved the cauliflower special, and was excited that there were so many vegetarian options to try on future trips! The bulgogi was the first I've ever had so I can't compare it to anything, but the serving size was perfect and it really hit the spot. I ordered it with lettuce to turn it into lettuce wraps, but found myself just eating it by the forkful. The space feels very cool and ambient, it's a great spot for a date night! Service was very friendly too! We'll be back to try more read more

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What a cool cozy neighborhood restaurant with awesome Korean food! I had the glass noodles, dumplings, and my husband had beef bulgogi with lettuce for wraps. Everything was so delicious! Glass noodles and dumplings were my fave and my husband loved his bulgogi as well! We will definitely be back to this East Nashville gem read more

This feels like a neighborhood bar but Korean. As soon as we came in, we were greeted by the hostess who was very friendly! Food was delicious. We tried the Korean fried chicken, Brussel sprouts and the scallion potato pancakes. If you buy Taiwanese potato pancakes at Trader Joe's, you'll love the ones on the menu here. Music was a little loud, and this wasn't totally my vibe, but overall a good experience. read more

Love this place. The food is absolutely delicious. Whether you eat in house or order takeout. The employees are always a pleasure to work with when ordering a Babo. It's not a huge restaurant so prepared to wait on busy nights, but it is worth it. The scallion pancake with everything and the glass noodles... Chefs kiss read more

Amazing! We were staying just down the street and wanted something casual and somewhere we could walk to and found this place. We both enjoyed our cocktails (a lychee martini and a gin cocktail) and decided to order a starter and two entrees to share. We went with the Korean fried chicken (half and half for flavors), beef bulgogi and glass noodles with an egg. Needless to say, we definitely had leftovers. The Korean fried chicken with both flavors were cooked perfect, the beef was super tender and the glass noodles had tasty veggies mixed in. We really enjoyed our dinner here and the next time we visit Nashville we'll definitely be back! Insider note: the waitress recommended the fried cauliflower because it's only available Friday and Saturday but we just had to eat the chicken. So definitely try the cauliflower! read more

Babo Korean Bar - Beef bulgogi, Korean fried chicken, glass noodles - Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

My wife and I have lived half a mile from Babo for nearly two years and only just made our first visit. I now thoroughly regret all those missed opportunities. This review is limited by the fact that we only had two dishes, but it was easily among the best for we've eaten in Nashville. The glass noodles are perfect. I could have those 5 days of the week and not be bored. The dumplings were less enjoyable for me, so I only at one. My wife cleared the plate of the rest though, so individual tastes will vary. We plan on being back very soon to sample more of the menu. Cocktails were excellent and we had top notch service from the bartender. Five stars all around. read more

Babo Korean Bar - Glass noodles - Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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The vibes inside the bar were very nice. The main room is dimly lit with a bar along one of the walls and the kitchen in the back. Their food menu is quite limited and consists of Korean street food items. We ordered the Kimchi Fried Rice, Loaded Pancakes, and Pork Bulgogi. Honestly, the food is no where near authentic Korean food. If you ignore the fact that the food is advertised as "Korean", then the flavors are alright. The carrots in the Kimchi Fried Rice were chopped a little too large, and since there was no protein, it was slightly bland, but with the Pork Bulgogi, it tasted alright. The Loaded Pancakes were a little to salty for my liking due to the BBQ sauce that is drizzled all over it. I definitely would not come in with the expectation of having good/authentic Korean food, but if you're just looking for a nice bar with great vibes, then this is the place to go. read more

Babo Korean Bar - Kimchi Fried Rice, Loaded Pancake, Pork Bulgogi - Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

We were craving bibimbap and found this local East restaurant to try out. We showed up on a Sunday evening and were able to be seated immediately without a reservation which was convenient. Sat at the bar and was not able to be served alcohol because I have a temporary TN paper drivers license. Honestly, a little disappointing because the drinks had high remarks so can't speak to that. But... if a paper license is good enough for law enforcement it should be good enough for a restaurant. I even offered to show photos of my passport and other out of state ID but was also not accepted. So note to new customers - bring your passport if you recently changed your drivers license to TN. The food was okay - husband got beef bulgogi and it wasn't the best we have ever had. However the bibimbap was pretty good and the stone bowl was nice and sizzling. The dumplings were outstanding and will be looking forward to trying other dishes next time. read more

Babo Korean Bar - Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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I had been looking forward to checking out Babo for a couple months and was unfortunately underwhelmed by my experience. I did like the ambience--dimly lit with red in the dining and bar area and newspaper-lined walls lit by a single green bulb in the bathroom. It felt like a nice mix between a neighborhood dive bar and a more upscale, quiet getaway. Sitting at the bar, the service was fine; we got drinks quickly and the bartender checked in with us often to let us order food and drink. It was the food that really let me down. The banchan + kimchi started included four sides: radish kimchi, potato salad, broccoli with a brown sauce, and cucumbers. I don't know if it's a palate issue or a preparation issue, but I hated the kimchi (which I had been looking forward to). It was *extremely* bitter and the radishes had absolutely no crunch to them--they were soaked through and mushy. The cucumbers/pickles were alright but more pickled than I expected. I had hoped they would be a little sweeter or more sesame-forward like oi muchim that I've had at other restaurants. The broccoli with sauce was fine, but I didn't go back for a second bite. The potato salad was pretty good, but my friend only ate a single bite and left the rest for me. My friend and I split the blistered shishitos and gochujang Korean fried chicken. I liked the sauce on the shishitos but wished they had been a bit more blistered in both taste and texture. The fried chicken was good, but it's nothing I'd write home about (or order again). If I was in the area already, I'd grab a drink at Babo, but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit again. read more

Our go to takeout spot in East Nashville but it's even better dining in! We always get the Korean fried chicken with tofu ranch and kimchi fried rice. But the glass noodles and dumplings are also great. Lots of vegetarian options too. If you dine, they have a fun selection of Korean drinks and beer. The atmosphere is dark and very cool. Not too loud and makes for a great spot to go with friends or on a date. read more

Babo Korean Bar - Bar seating - Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee