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Service was very quick for it being so busy inside! The seating areas are nice and there's a ton of space. The desserts were so good and they had a great selection of pastries. The bingsoo was perfectly sweet, and I love that it had so much fresh fruit!!
Kinda confusing place...as it says bbq...and bakery... then when you walk inside. I didn't see the BBQ, but a build your own Ramen area. Guess it's cool, but isn't advertised that way in the front. Anyways i am a corn lover and have been looking for anything with cheese and corn or corn and sweet i found their corn cream bread! 10/10. Wish i5 had more corn pieces inside. The bread was soft on the inside with a slight crispy outer shell. The crean inside was super corn forward with the perfect amount of sweetness. I love when corn comes through because the sugar doesn't over power it . I also got the crispy strawberry crunch crossing. I personally wish it wasn't so chewy? Too much caramel in my opinion and I wanted to be able to identify that i was eating a crispy smashed cross ain't. The strawberry flavor is faint, but I enjoyed it. 7/10. Will have to come back for their other stuff such as bingsoo and so fourth, but yeah bakery items weren't a lot too choose from so it made it easy for in and out. I definitely want to come back.
I loved this cute little area and feel like I could come here for long hours to hang with others. It was pretty busy though. The ramen bar is kinda funny. My friend and I got the bingsoo, which was really creamy and good. Would love to come back again to try their other bingsoo and drinks.
dolsot spicy pork bibimbap - pretty decent! But wish it had more rice and had to ask for more sauce 3.5/5 cream donpas - had a nice mushroom flavor throughout the sauce and wasn't overly just cream but the katsu is pounded super thin so it's more crust than meat 3/5 Ddeokbokki rice cakes - didn't have much flavor and weren't that good but I liked the dumplings and fishcakes were standard 1.75/5 lemon sugar coated salt bread - actually pretty decent and they have half off after 8pm 3.5/5
I have visited BBQ21 four times now and have been consistently impressed. One of the biggest perks is the ample parking, which makes stopping by stress free! The restaurant is always clean, and I appreciate that the staff is welcoming and friendly! So far, every dish I have tried has been great. The donkatsu comes in a very generous serving size, and both the bulgogi and donkatsu kimbap are delicious. I love that the kimbap is made fresh to order. They were even kind enough to accomodate my request to leave out the burdock. I also tried the rose ddukbokki, which had great flavor! I just wish there were a few more rice cakes. The highlight for me is definitely the strawberry bingsoo. It's honestly one of the best I've ever had in Virginia. Just a quick tip: there is an extra fee if you want to add red beans!
My friend suggested going here after dinner and I looked at her funny. The name is misleading, this place is half cafe half Korean boonshik with adorable cafe vibes. Great place to catch up with a friend, study, or just eat. They offer bunshik (Korean fast casual food like dumplings, tteokbokki, fish cake soup, etc), pastries and all the things a cafe would have, as well as a full self serve ramen bar in the back. Ordered tea, salt bread, corn creme bread (which is salt bread filled with corn cream. Salt bread sucked. It wasn't even buttery. Corn creme bread sounds weird, but it weirdly worked. It's sweet but not too sweet. Service was good. Loved the ambiance more than anything!
Such a hidden gem! This place offers yummy korean food and delicious sweets. A good place to do some work or catch up with some friends. My friend and I shared the rose tteokbokki and kimbap and it was pretty standard. We also shared the cheese dessert and this was quite interesting! It had a faint flavor of cheese but the rest was like vanilla-like mousse. I also got some salt bread to try at home. The original was ok but the corn bread was amazing! I loved the filling because it was sweet and salty. I do recommend microwaving it just a little bit so it fluffs up the bread more. I saw that they offered bingsoo layered with fruit which I feel like that is hard to come by in this area so I would definitely come back to try the bingsoo and the other dishes.
I've walked past this place a lot and finally decided to try this! I think my favorite dish was the omurice because the sauce was delicious, the egg was cooked very well, and the rice inside with the different meats and vegetables was great! I also ordered the beef bulgogi gimbap which was pretty standard and paired well with the tonkatsu sauce. I also ordered the soy garlic fried chicken which was also pretty standard. They have Dubai marshmallow cookies too and salt breads you can buy. My favorite was definitely the melon bingsoo! It's very big and I love how there was a melona bar and mochi pieces inside! The workers were nice and there is plenty of seating inside. I thought this was a full service restaurant, but it is actually self service and more so cafeteria style. I want to come back to try the other bingsoo flavors!
We are a food hunting family and my daughter found this on our way home from Potomac Mills Town Center. It's an awesome setup and very welcoming when you first walk in. The immediate entry had a few row of tables but to the left of the mini wall supported parties of 4 and more. Tables were also set up for on da spot BBQ but we went for something different. We ordered the Spicy Jumbo Cheese Don Katsu (with extra cheese) and it was huge!! The sauce was on the side and this was great. It allowed us to jump between original and some spice. The sauce was tangy and a good hint of spicy, but not over bearing. The presentation was just like the pictures. It also had a lil dome of rice and a light salad with a creamy sauce. We also ordered the Volcano Ramen and it was FULL OF FLAVOR. Not too many places can hit the nail on the head when it comes to Ramen but this place was amazing. The spice for the "volcano" was blotted in case you wanted to take some off but it was just perfect. My wife mixed in the entire spice. The Tornado Omurice's presentation was perfect as well. Covering a bacon fried rice, the egg was laid on top with a tangy bbq style sauce. I'm not much for a tangy bbq sauce but to some, it can be delicious. So this is just me. The egg was perfectly cooked and creamy and the rice was flavorful as well. My daughter ordered the Coin Cheese and my other daughter ordered the make your own loaded ramen option. Sorry no pics for these two. Overall, it was an amazing experience and there was a small bar as well if you want to indulge in some cocktails with your food. The place was "poppin" and I kind of felt bad for the cashier/host; he was working everything without any flaws out deficiencies. Mad kudos to that guy!! Definitely hit this place up!! We'll be back for sure.
Went for dessert, not food but plan to go back. The Korean shaved ice dessert was HUGE! Two adults and one toddler shared it and it took us some time. Despite being $20 (so more of a special occasion thing) it was good! Not overwhelming sweet and enough mango to not fight over a bite.
Don't let the name fool you! They're not a BBQ restaurant. This is essentially a bakery cafe that serves not only bread, cakes and coffee. They have all kinds of Korean food and even a DIY ramen section. The staff are always very helpful and everything comes out fairly quickly usually. The interior is still very much a BBQ set up but the new owners decorated the place to be more cozy like a cafe. Def give this place a try! Everything I've ordered here is amazing. Highly recommend!
I had a very positive experience at BBQ 21. While the name is a bit misleading (it functions more like a general Korean food hall), the overall value and unique concept definitely make it worth a visit. I ordered the Katsu, and it was hands-down the largest katsu I've ever seen! At $20.95, it's a bit pricier than average, but I think it was well worth it because the portion lasted me for three separate meals. The quality was good, and the sheer size offers great value. I also really enjoyed the food hall concept. It provides a fantastic variety of meal options and access to desserts, making it a great place for a group with varied tastes. Plenty of seating on a weekday evening, making it a nice spot to hang out. Overall, I would definitely go back. It's nothing out of the ordinary that blew me away, but for huge portions and a reliable, diverse meal, this is a solid choice.
Honestly, the food is okay. Not bad, but nothing amazing. Pretty average Korean food overall. That said, the donkatsu was actually pretty good, especially the spicy one. Warning though, the spicy donkatsu is actually spicy. I'd say it's just a bit less intense than buldak, but I was definitely in pain after eating it... but the flavor was so good I couldn't stop eating. I'm giving it 4 stars mostly because I really like the concept of the food hall. It's a great spot to come with a group, especially when everyone wants something different. Plus, having dessert and drinks all in the same place is super convenient. It's also very clean and pretty spacious inside.
2 years ago
4 years ago
One comment. Galbi MulNangmyun. That is all. Best combo here. We also ordered the seafood pancake (good but not the best I've ever had). read more
7 years ago
This review is mainly for the cheesy ribs. They gave us 2 options - spicy and nonspicy. The ribs were literally just slabbed with american bbq sauce. I was hoping and thinking that the ribs would be an asian influenced flavor since I was in a korean restaurant. The sauce was just straight up bbq sauce. I felt like i was eating those microwavable bbq ribs from any grocery store.. or i could go to tgi fridays and get cheaper ribs. If you're looking for american style bbq ribs with a side of melted mozz, then maybe this place will hit the spot for you Also the dukkboki that came with it was flavored with the same bbq sauce as the ribs. Service was good. I'd never order those ribs again though read more
Highly recommend this place! Most people come from their ddukbokki, but I recommend their authentic Korean food. The dishes I ordered with my mom was called daegu moom tong jjim and a fish soup. Both were fantastic! The first dish is a little spicy, and portion size is huge. It's also worth a pretty penny, but that's due to the portion size and good fish they use. Their side dishes are amazing and service is great. Highly recommend! read more
7 years ago
3 years ago
Had just arrived in town and was super hungry. We arrived just after lunch but before dinner so had the place to ourselves. When the waitress spoke little but good English I knew we were in for an authentic treat and the place did not disappoint. We call 2 other friends of ours to come right over and try it. They loved it also, on our way out of the door literally two more friends arrived asking if it was good. I showed them the pictures and said definitely give it a try!! And they did!! read more
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Part II: Viva Korean Cuisine!!!! Let me tell you, the Bulldog had just downheartedly left another Korean Joint (Breakers - aka Imposters) at Fair Oaks Mall (see Part I) wondering if all the amazing Korean food that I had at my friends' houses growing up was just an illusion. But I didn't give up, I persevered into this hidden diamond-in-the-rough, BBQ 21, where my love for everything Korean was rekindled with splendid fervor!!! Spicy Soup - Red, intricate and amazing, Bulgogi flavorful juicy and succulent, rice fluffy and sticky, dumplings were tasty/greasy/flavorful, veggies were so g-damn fresh and spicy I almost filled up on them, fresh condiments with interesting spices that dance on a wide-range on your palette. Would have given 5/5 if my can of Diet Coke wasn't flat, but everything else was top-notch and I suspect - was cooked with love for the game - masterful. I finished stuffed and satisfied. Verdict: I'll DEFINITELY be back... read more
What I like best about this place is that when you walk in you feel like you actually have the option to order several different things from the menu. It seems like most other places in the area are either known for their Korean dishes OR their bbq, and bbq21 does both well. Spiciness of dishes vary--I didn't think the jaeyuk bokkeum was that spicy, but I found the spicy ribs and ddeokbokki (in the cheesy bbq platter) to be extremely spicy. The doenjang jjigae is bland so should be avoided. if you're not getting the potato shrimp rolls as an appetizer, you're ordering wrong read more
3 years ago
I must say the foods and services here is excellent!! I am very satisfied so far, I've come here twice very recently and all the dishes entrees we ordered has been very good! BBQ21's grilled pork ribs with cheese (extra spicy) was delicious!! If you love super spicy food and love pork ribs...this dish is for you! And I love the sides that comes with this dish, corn and rice cakes. The melted mozzarella cheese goes so well with the spicy pork ribs and rice cakes! The yookgaejang, spicy soup! So yummy! I'm pretty picky with this soup and rarely like getting yookgaejang at restaurants but BBQ21 got pretty good soup! Definitely worth trying. There's also many other dishes you can choose from their menu. They also have sushi bar! Appetizer, they have yookhwae (Korean style beef tartar)! And it is a lot! Appetizer to share between 3-4 people! Really delicious seasoned well and beef is slightly still frozen and comes with very thinly sliced Korean pears and cucumbers! Yum yum!! I would recommend this appetizer if you love beef rare and raw beef! And can't forget how friendly the service is here and very attentive! read more
I had heard about this place from my friends and it was part of the airline dining rewards program, so I though I would give this a try. It is located by Burlington Coat Factory off of 50. There was plenty of parking. I went on Labor Day weekend before the dining rush. Although I went in with almost no expectation (other than the strange combination of cheese and Korean BBQ), I came out severely disappointed and will not be returning here. I would much rather eat takeout or one of the Asian fast food places as they are cheaper and tastier. The inside is well maintained, clean, and modern. However the decorative lighting (hanging stars and a tree) reminded me more of Christmas decoration than year round decoration. The music played softly in the background. We were seated immediately and began looking at the menu. The prices for the cheese specials seemed high for customers that wanted a small sample of the cheese special experience. I wouldn't want to pay ~$30 for a dish that served 2 and end up hating it! We decided to order the pork cutlet (~$15) to share. I ordered the chicken yakisoba while my friends ordered other items. They first came out with a small portion of a salad. The dressing was good. Then they came out with side dishes which were decent although sadly they didn't have my favorite side dishes that are commonly served at other Korean BBQ places. Then our food came out. For almost $15, I was surprised that the pork cutlet was essentially a fried pork stuffed with cheese and served with a spoonful of coleslaw. There was nothing interesting about the taste profile of this dish. Furthermore, the chicken yakisoba was disappointing. The chicken was dry and it lacked strong flavor. The biggest disappointment was the service. The floor was empty of any waitstaff when we were ready to get our check. We waited for more than 15 minutes until someone came out from the back. There was only one other party in the restaurant too. read more
To be honest, the things I love most about this place is the way they marinade their spicy food/sauce and their service. Typically, Korean restaurants don't have that great of customer service (especially to non-Koreans) but the waitresses here are always super friendly and try their best to make sure I understand what I'm eating and how to eat it. The first time I was here I ordered the ribs with ddeokboki and cheese and corn and the waitress demonstrated how to eat it and even dished up the first plate for us! Everything came out on a sectioned tray and they heat up the whole tray on the grill area in front of you so the cheese is melted right then and there. Let. Me. Tell you. This place has BOMB cheese and ddeokboki and corn. I am literally in heaven everytime I take a bite. Their bulgogi soup is also really really good as well! The only downsides with getting cheese with any dish is that you have to eat it fast or the cheese will cool down and get hard. If you continuously heat the cheese up, it will start to burn so there's that too. The menu is a little pricey but you HAVE to try this place at least once read more
3 years ago
We ordered casserole for 2 for dinner, it was so delicious and authentic. We loved it and definitely will come back for something else!!! read more
7 years ago
One thing I love about BBQ 21 is they are not skimpy on the banchan (biggest pet peeve!). If you're looking for good kbbq or Korean food in Fairfax this is it. My family ordered a lot of food -- jigae, Galbi, Korean seafood pancake, sushi, and the famous cheesy pork dish. This was delicious. If you're a bit skeptical trust me, this is a new trend with Asian food and becoming popular with Korean galbi and bulgogi dishes. All of the food is authentic and delicious. Thank you for a great meal, we will be back! read more
7 years ago
I'm a bit new to Korean BBQ but like trying new things and thought I'd check this place out. Some of the reviews were a bit intimidating (I'm not even a little bit Korean and I don't know what half these foods even are!), but I put on my big brave girl face anyway. It wasn't busy when we came here, and service was attentive and super quick. I ordered something not-spicy (bibimbap with veggies, rice and beef) and the waitress gently (not at all condescendingly) coached me on how to apply the table spice to my entree. The entree came with a small salad and a bowl of miso soup - both of which were OK, not bad but not too memorable. Then the entree came out. Woweee! First this thing was steaming. And steamed for a good 20 minutes after being brought out. It was HUGE. And delicious. And now I need to wait for a forklift to bring me out to my car! read more
12 years ago
Upon stumbling across this place on Yelp and reading all of the raving reviews, I was excited to give it a try! My boyfriend and I decided to check this place out as he is a big fan of cheese + Korean food; a combination rarely encountered around here, but is big in NY. We ordered the special cheesy BBQ ribs-- half spicy, half bulgogi marinade which comes with corn and spicy mochi rice cakes, a serving large enough for two hungry individuals. Prior to our food arriving, we strolled over to the complimentary salad bar which offered veggies in kimchi sauce, kale salad, lettuce, tomatoes, chickpeas, etc. They also had a sauce bar for their shabu-shabu, but you can help yourself to some sriracha, sesame oil, etc. for your personal dipping needs! They also gave a small banchan of fresh kimchi, radishes, and turnips. When our food arrived, I noticed that the ribs were already cooked, but the pan was placed above the grill to allow the cheese to melt on the side, over the corn, and atop the spicy mochi rice cakes. The cheesy corn was a big hit! It was delightful as was the spicy mochi rice cakes-which were soft, delicious, and nicely seasoned. Unfortunately, the ribs and huge side of cheese (the main event) just fell short for me. The ribs were not very tender and the marinades were just OK. The side of cheese ended up drying because we turned off the grill to prevent it from burning. After devouring your ribs, you have option of making fried rice out of the leftovers (+$3), but we were so full we opted out. The dish was a slight miss, but given that they just opened up shop, I'll give them a few months to work out the kinks. Lastly, they had great service- everyone was quick, attentive, and friendly. Next time I'll try some of their traditional dishes and KBBQ to see how they match up to the Korean fare in Annandale, as well as their shabu-shabu! read more
10 years ago
Not bad, but nothing too special here. Stopped by for dinner to try out the cheese ribs but I wouldn't come back for them. We got the cheese ribs ($35) half spicy and half BBQ; the spicy ones were actually hotter than I'd expected (and I love spicy food), so I wouldn't recommend this for those who don't have tolerance. The ribs were flavorful but the cheese hardened up very quickly as it cooled off, so you have to eat it really fast - otherwise it lumps up and you have to scrape it off the metal tray. Also got a dolsot bibimbap with bulgogi and there was very very little meat in it. The side dishes weren't that great either. I will say that service was attentive, though. Overall an OK spot but not as good as expected. Might give this place another shot in the future. read more
11 years ago
The decor is nice, the restaurant is clean and tidy, the service is outstanding, the staff is friendly. The food is okay. Nothing stellar. I've had better bibimbap from H-Mart's food court. Honestly, there was hardly any meat in mine (I ordered the bulgogi dolsot bibimbap), or any of my friends' despite us all having ordered the same dish. Two friends got BBQ I thought, but the dishes that were brought out had already been cooked (and looked like they had been sitting in the window for a while - filmy looking). An asian family came in after we had been served our food, and they got the full service BBQ treatment - like I said, I'm pretty sure my friends ordered the BBQ but it wasn't cooked tableside so... not sure?? Anyway, I'd go again, maybe.. and you should check it out... but beware there isn't a whole lot of meat in the bulgogi dolsot bibimbap to justify the price. read more
8 years ago
4 years ago
3 years ago
I've been here three times for dinner with a friend. My friend lived in this area and my friend took me this place. I didn't know korean bbq restaurant in this area but this was nice korean bbq restaurant. Our waitress was friendly, I thought my friend was regular here and that's why they're pretty friendly to us. Also you can eat sushi this place too. They've sushi bar and you can order it but I'm not sure sushi is good or not this place, I haven't tried that. This place side dishes were tasty and meat was fresh but brisket was too chewy and not thin. When you order bbq and meat looks like not fresh then you can request them to change. This place interior is modern and clean. Other places have to be careful when you walking because the floor is sometimes slippery, but this place is not. read more
5 years ago
The food was ok. They had a very limit menu. Better if you came for lunch from what I saw. The udon noodle was really yummy. No sushi which was a really big let down. Also they say they have Apple Pay but doesn't work anymore? I would double check with them if that's how you want to do payment. read more
3.5 overall. Came in with a craving for some dolsot bibimbap. Left very full. 4 stars service. 3.5 food so a bit above average. Location is very convenient to family whenever I visit so will definitely come back! Staff is friendly and everything came out quickly. read more
5 years ago
We were in the area and always looking to try somewhere new. This popped up and looks fairly promising and had well enough reviews to convince us to stop in and so we did. The bbq special grilled pork ribs with cheese caught our eye, so we ordered that. We have been coming back a few times after that just for that bbq special. The ribs are well tasting and fall off the bone good. The sides pair well with it, corn medley, and melted cheese is so good to eat but not good for you lol. We also requested fried rice and well that will make you super filled up! This is recommended for 2 people or 3 if you aren't looking to eat much. The other few times we've also ordered the calamari, sushi, seafood pancake, and the potato shrimp. The calamari and seafood pancake are good but pricey for quite a small portion. Sushi we've ordered twice but that's because we were craving sushi, I wouldn't recommend coming here for sushi only if that's what you're looking for. It's good but it's not cream of the crop best sushi in town. Service is so-so here, not bad when they're super busy but they're always friendly. We will come back next time we are in the area and want more pork read more
We first came here to try out this cool bbq ribs that you wrap with cheese. But we ended up always coming back for their customer service and amazing korean food. The BBQ ribs for 2 is served on a metal tray that has sections for all the sides it comes with (corn cheese, ddeokbokki, cheese, and the ribs). The tray is put on the stovetop on your table so you can melt the cheese right in front of you. Theres enough food here to share between 3 people if you are ordering other dishes too. Food: Like I said before we came foe the ribs and stayed for the other food. The ribs are good, but they have the best ddeokbokki I have ever had. They serve it a la carte that comes as a huge serving and cheese on top. Their spicy sauce/marinade they use for everything is the best I've had compared to all the other korean places around NoVA and it makes their rice cakes that much better. They also have a bulgogi soup that is packed with meat and glass noodles! Its served piping hot so be careful. Also tried their pork katsu that is stuffed with cheese, it tastes as amazing as it looks and it is a pretty generous serving. Atmosphere: Its pretty dead when we go here tbh so we get seated and served pretty fast. For a place with such amazing food im honestly surprised not a lot of people flock here. They have a sushi bar but I have never tried it from there so I cant comment, and their restaurant is always decorated really cute and nice for whatever holiday is up. Servers are super helpful and friendly and always go out of their way to make you enjoy your meal read more
5 years ago
Great food and great service! Highly recommend it. Delicious bulgogi, banchan and soups/stews. read more
3 years ago
Must have been awhile since I was here last because I don't remember this place being as bad as it was last night. Came her for dinner, I couldn't decide between sushi and kbbq so I opted for BBQ 21 which serves both. Got here around 7:40, the place was busy but there were a few open tables. My party and I stood around for a good 5 minutes before anyone came over to get us seated. Well we had to wait another 3 minutes for our table to be ready and 10 minutes for our drink orders. I was contemplating leaving at this point but everyone was famished that we stayed put. We ordered bulgogi, brisket, assorted sushi and rolls. They give you the smallest amount of brisket for 24/order. You get charged all you can eat price for having the meat nicely arranged on a wooden pig platter. The amount of bulgogi was no different either. Sushi and rolls were ok but hit the spot. Paid 85 plus tip between 4 people and left both our pockets and tummies complaining. Next time I'm craving BBQ, I won't hesitate driving to So. read more
3 years ago
9 years ago
I've been seeing cheese w/ Korean BBQ on social media and so naturally I had to try it. We came here for husband's birthday. For about $32 you get a meal for two to be shared. Husband commented that the meal didn't look like it would be enough for both of us, but it turns out we were stuffed silly from the portion. So I'd say that it's a great deal when it comes to Korean food. To me the flavor was good, but I was hoping that we could try the bulgogi flavored ribs, but they no longer served them. So we got a mix of spicy and BBQ flavored ribs. Word of caution: The cheese has to be spread on the meat within minutes of it melting otherwise you end up with burnt cheese on the hot plate. read more
9 years ago
Tried their signature barbecue ribs with cheese, which has been very popular in Korea and China. To be honest, this dish looks very nice and is perfect for Instagram, but it's just okay taste wise. The cheese doesn't really go with the meat, and the meat is the same as Costco ribs. The restaurant has a typical Korean restaurant interior setting, and the waitresses are nice and friendly. In all it's an okay experience, I might come back if I happen to be in the area again, but I won't drive here just for the food. read more
More info about BBQ 21
11272 James Swart Cir
Fairfax, VA 22030
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(703) 352-0092
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https://www.bbq21kitchen.com
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