My boys and I went again to Bowl'd yesterday midafternoon around 3pm. The service and the food were great, which made me more confident in this restaurant, as consistency is important nowadays! All three vegetarian dishes we ordered were delicious: dolsot bibimbop, soft tofu stew and miso ramen. I'm increasing the stars to a 5 rating. We are looking forward to our next visit! read more

It's really a high 3 for me so I'm rounding it to 4. I thought some of the items were a bit on the pricey side. Sundubu would've been $18 before adding protein. That's my usual go to at Korean restaurants :(. I still prefer Gangnam Tofu in general for Korean food in the area. Anyway, we thought the food was decent and they have many Korean comfort food options too. I was surprised to see them selling ice cream unattended. Society hasn't failed me here since people are abiding by the honor system. read more

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Decided to come here for a quick lunch on a weekday and it did not disappoint. There was plenty of seating and we were quickly greeted by staff and seated. I ordered the wings and lunch special with beef bulgogi. The beef bulgogi plate and portions were great for the price. All of the sides were great too. The wings were okay in my opinion; if you're looking for wings there are other amazing local spots that specialize in KFC. Overall it's a great place to stop in and grab a quick lunch or dinner! read more

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Ordered from the website last night because I was at work and had a co-worker pick up my order- Beef Tofu Stew w. Rice Cakes and Spicy wings. I opted for tteokbokki bc I was going to have the stew for lunch on my overnight shift and tteokbokki holds up better than ramen. Nothing better to lift your spirits on a cold rainy night than beef tofu stew, right? Imagine my disappointment when I cracked into my stew half way into my 12 hour shift and found bloated, soggy, fall apart ramen. Lowkey ruined my night. The tag on my bag was right, but the meal wasn't. (Order #97007) read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Right tag, wrong meal. - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

Yummy treats await you. Flavors of home, comfort and warmth invite you to stay a while. Plenty of natural light. Greeted with smiles upon crossing the threshold. Full pane windows from floor to ceiling. I will return because the menu has so many options. read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Lovely "sides" to accompany your bowl - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

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A Korean restaurant on Solano Avenue. I ordered kimchi fried rice, and it came with some side dishes. Maybe they were busy,the service felt a bit curt. Overall, it was neither great nor bad. The atmosphere was nice though. read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

Been coming here quite a few times ever since finding this place for valentines! Wings are fire curry ramen always hits the spot! Just got done eating and every time food has always been consistently good so had to make sure to leave a review, dont sleep on this place! Oh, mild spicy first to gage how hot u like cause nothing worse then getting something too spicy to eat. read more

This litte Gem we found in Albany for some authentic Korean food is amazing! The food is delicious the service is great! Prices are very fair fair. Small space but very comfortable! The wings are phenomenal the ramen is ao good served in a hot bowl and we loved the kimchi potstickers!!!!! The food here is soooooooo good!!!! And the servers are so sweet. Pricing is fair. For three people we spent $95 before tip with leftovers!!!! Keep this place around! read more

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Well, this place has been an occasional favorite, but I hadn't been for a while. The price on their soup has gone up close to 50%.! and the quality has gone hugely down! It used to have these nice mushrooms on top and other veggies and now it was just a bowl of what looked like pre-chewed tofu and chicken that I really don't think came from a chicken- was tough, stringy, and inedible read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - I don't know it was ported to be chicken, but it looks like something my cat coughs up - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

Great, quick service. Clean restaurant. Kid freindly, big portions. I definitely will return read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

Amazing food. Loved bibimbak and spicy pork belly and tofu soup Except spicy wings are very sweet. Service is great. Would definitely come back. read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

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Used to love going to the Bowl'd in Albany and was so excited to try out this branch in Alameda. Unfortunately, quality and flavor is just not what it used to be. Jhap chae in specific had an overpowering mushroom flavor that wasn't my preference and the fried chicken had no flavor. read more

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I came here for lunch with a coworker. It's my first time trying a bento box here, and portion size is pretty good! I haven't been here for some time now, but the fried chicken is still as good as I remember. Very quiet on a weekday lunch. Parking was super easy to find on the street. Service was good. I should come back more frequently! read more

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My family loves this place and for good reason. It is veg friendly and offers multigrain rice options for all their dishes. We came in for a weekday dinner, found street parking right outside the restaurant and was seated immediately. I ordered a beef kimbop and the ginseng chicken stew. They gave 2 sets of side dishes as well. The kimbop with multigrain rice was really yummy, packed with veggies and flavorful beef. The ginseng chicken stew was okay. The soup didn't have much ginseng flavor, and the sticky rice and chestnuts inside the chicken was undercooked and still hard. The chicken was tender and did absorb some of the ginseng flavor which was nice. Service was beautiful, you know it's good when they anticipate your needs. My sister was sniffling over the spicy ramen and the server came over with a stack of napkins. How nice Overall, pretty good, a bit disappointed with the ginseng chicken stew, but still a solid Korean spot on Solano read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Beef kimbop - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

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I love love loved this place. I went a few years ago and they didn't have many gluten-free options, but they have totally changed that. I ordered the Bibimbap with salmon. Since it was cold outside, I asked for it hot, and I loved it, so many vegetables, lots of flavor, and they actually have gluten-free soy sauce. The trouble with many places is that when they say they have gluten-free options, they take away the sauce and all of the flavor. Here this was not the case at Bowl'd. I loved how the rice was crispy in the bottom of the bowl and the different textures and flavors blended together for one yummy dish. I would definitely go back. My Non-gluten-free family got the chicken barbecue and shared it and both really enjoyed their meal. They've been here many times and always get the same thing because they love it and finally brought me with them. I can't wait to go back. There were other options for gluten-free but right now I am remembering my dish and want to get it again. The restaurant was quite busy, atmosphere was upbeat and fun and the service was good. No complaints! read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

Our go to lunch place for Ramen and Wings. Service is always great and quick. Food is always good. read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

The mung bean pancake was the vegan protein that helped bowl'd stand out as a place serving something delicious and different. I'm sad it's been taken off the menu. read more

Absolutely loved this place! The food is fresh, flavorful, and truly tastes like authentic Korean comfort food. The portions are generous, the staffs are friendly, and the atmosphere feels cozy and welcoming. One of my favorite spots in Albany! read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

We came with four persons, all four dishes were good. It takes a lot to get a 5 star review out of me, so not quite that. But we'll be back. Service was quick and appropriate. Noise level was OK (could be quieter, more damped). We can't tell if it's "authentic", but it was certainly approachable and good. read more

wide variety of korean dishes at a good quality! what makes this spot special is the brown rice options!! i absolutely love the amount of customization the different dishes have here. there is plenty of street parking and seating inside this restaurant. i saw many families here, and i think it is the perfect environment for a group outing. there is a huge menu with many options ranging from a small snack to filling meal. rose tteokboki - so creamy, and there is a lot of bacon and sausage in here! the rice cakes are so soft and chewy, and they're bathed in a yummy milky and mild sauce bibimbap hot stone - we got this with bulgogi and you really can't go wrong with it. there's a good amount of toppings and add the gochujang sauce to your heart's desire beef short rib - i'm surprised how flavorful the galbi was!! it went so well with the other dishes we got. i also loved the banchan here!! i've never had a mini chili tofu side dish anywhere else. i hope to be back here soon! read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Rose Tteokboki, Beef Short Rib - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

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Go to spot in Albany for Korean food! Love their glazed potatoes, must try! Have come many times and it doesn't disappoint. Located on the busy Solano there's limited street parking, but there's a Safeway nearby you can park at. The staff greets you when entering and guides you to a table. There's a good amount of space around the restaurant mainly tables of 2 or 4. We ordered the seafood pancake and it was nicely cut into pieces. The edges were perfectly crispy and center more chewy. The seafood was tasty and all blends well. There could have been a bit more seafood but still very good. The bulgogi comes with side dishes and choice of mixed or white rice. I always get the purple mixed rice. It was super tender, juicy, and flavorful. Decent portion but enough shared for 2. I always get an order of the glazed potatoes so delicious! Don't see it at other places either. It's a little crispy on the outside with a sweet glaze. The price is worth the taste. Have tried many of their dishes and enjoy them. Staff are friendly and attentive. read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Bulgogi, seafood pancake, glazed potatoes - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

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This place can get really crowded. This is my first time here on a Saturday early afternoon. Not many people so plenty of seating available. All items bought were shared. The pancakes we had were all right. I just can't remember the specific dish that were ordered. The banchu was fine. Can't go wrong with this complimentary dish included in your meal. The Kimbop reminds me of sushi but not quite. They were okay. The Bibimpop selected was beef. It wasn't as sweet as others I've experienced. All in all for two people this doesn't break the bank. The server came by multiple times inquiring if everything was okay. The ambiance was alright. You don't go away hungry. read more

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good portions on most dishes we ordered and everything was super flavorful (more unpictured) with really yummy banchan. service was quick and the food all came out hot and fresh we were able to feed five for about $20-25/person with full bellies parking - all street parking but mostly free if you can find a spot read more

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A big shoutout to Jay, who was working Monday afternoon. He went above and beyond to help us -- super friendly, patient, and genuinely kind. He was especially sweet with my son and made the whole experience so positive. You can tell he really cares about people. We'll definitely be coming back because of him. Thanks, Jay! read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

Today we had planned to have lunch at Rose Pizzeria, but the weather was going to be overcast and perhaps even rainy. It had rained at Nina's house so she was concerned about the weather and texted me. I had made a reservation for 12:15-12:30 so I canceled it and we decided instead to meet at Bowl'd. I found parking right in front and Nina arrived right after me. We were seated and looked at the menus. I knew I wanted the Galbi Tang, w/ mixed grains to add to it. I hadn't remembered that was an option. Nina wanted the Dolsot Bibimbop, so that's what she ordered. We had water to drink because they had no tea today for some reason. We were brought 6 banchan which we pretty much finished, between eating it and adding it to our dishes, aside from the kimchi tofu, which is my least favorite. Nina doesn't eat kimchi at all. Nina's dish came first and then mine. It was huge, much larger than I remembered it, although rereading my last review I see I brought some home for dinner then too. I ate as much as I wanted and then took the rest of it home to have for dinner tonight. Our server kindly packed it up for me. You can see from the photos how immense it was. When I used the restroom I was reminded of the sign they have there, which I had loved last time. The next time I went I brought my phone so I could take its picture, which you can also see. read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Galbi Tang - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

I wanted to share my positive experience with this Korean restaurant I frequently visit. I've been coming here for years and have never had a single dish I didn't like. The food is always fresh, and the staff is attentive read more

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Tried the Korean food here and Everything was super flavorful and fresh, and the side dishes made the meal even better. Portions were good too. Definitely coming back for more! Would definitely recommend! read more

It's a casual Korean bbq place famous for rice bowl and bibimbop. Service is OK with minimal interaction. Good for kids, seniors, groups and meetup. Parking may be challenging with free street spots. read more

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Beef is too sweet. It was like beef candy. The volume was big so it's a good deal but beef is too sweet

Bowld never disappoints! When I'm craving something healthy, I always go for the Hot Stone Bowl - bibimbap with spicy chicken. The dish comes with plenty of banchan options, and the food is always served hot and fresh. Consistently satisfying and perfect for a quick, wholesome meal. read more

Loved it here. Server was nice and helpful even though he was the only one in. They have a wide menu - soft tofu soup, bbq, stews and soups, bibimbop, kimbop, fried chicken, pancakes, ramen, fried rice, japchae, a lunchbox special M-F 10-3 and happy 'hour' also at the same time. Beer, sake, soju and other NA drinks. Food came out sizzling hot (as it should) and was delicious! We got soft tofu soup, bibimbop w/pork belly and bbq beef short ribs. Flavorful and filling especially with the 8(I think) ban chan. The least flavor was the pork belly which was surprising but the ribs were yummy! That was enough food for 3 of us. Parking was surprisingly easy for a Saturday afternoon and no wait to get in. Coming back soon! read more

Been coming her for years. Very good side dishes. And great tofu bimbimbap. The galbi tang is great and the potatoes are good

My favorite place to get tteokbokki! I've been here twice now and have thoroughly enjoyed everything I've tried! At both dinners I've come for, the place was lively and clean, but there was always a table available. There is a decent amount of parking on Solano Avenue. I've had to circle the block but have never had to walk more than a couple minutes. The service was friendly and attentive. The food came out very fast. Our order food was missing the cheese and they corrected it very quickly. It happens! Onto the food, across both times (not all pictured): Rose creamy spicy rice cake (tteokbokki): 11/10 ABSOLUTE STAR CHEFS KISS! you have to get it WITH CHEESE! I'm a big tteokbokki fan and this is my favorite spot to get it. They're very generous with the amount of sauce. I forced my friends to get this who have been here before, and it was their favorite out of everything they've had. Kimbop with beef: 8/10 generous with the meat portion, yet still light and refreshing! Good solid kimbop. Chicken wings: 7/10 pretty solid. Crispy breading! Soju bomb deal is also very well priced! Overall, I love this place. The interior is a little plain but the food is fantastic. The portions are generous and I've always had leftovers. Cherry on top: if you do have left overs, they give you a ladle to use to help scoop your soup or stew into the containers! First place I've ever been that's done this. (: read more

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Our office orders lunch from here once a week. Food is great but consistency of what you get through doordash varies. Sometimes comes with all the fixings, awesome! Lettuce, ssamjjang, soup and sides. But sometimes a lot of these things are missing :*( still great food but when you get your lunch and items are missing its never fun. Will add 5th star for consistency later. Because we will still order from here. read more

Service was amazing and very attentive, 5 stars just for that. They offered wet wipes, cracked our eggs, fixed our table and checked on us often. Food was good, however the shrimp were a bit small in the seafood tofu soups. The restaurant was packed on that Sunday evening but didn't need to wait for a table. A couple of street parking were available near the restaurant. Ended the meal with yakult and lollipops. read more

Always have friendly and fast service and delicious food here. We appreciate the clearly labeled vegetarian and vegan options. Japchae with tofu and mung bean pancakes are our favorites. read more

I'm bowled over by the delicious food served at Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar! Located on the busy corridor that is Solano Avenue which stretches all the way from San Pablo Avenue in Albany to the Berkeley Hills, Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar has been such a long standing success in the neighborhood, so much so that in the time they have been open in Albany, they have two additional locations open up, although one has since closed, but has plans to reopen in another location, and a spinoff in nearby Berkeley. I originally came to this location when it was the trendiest place along the Albany-Berkeley border and lines were out the door. Those heady times have since dissipated, but what has not changed after all these years is the fact that the food being served at Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar is authentic and quite tasty. Since so many other new restaurants have popped up along the Solano Avenue corridor so just finding the time to get here can be a challenge since there are so many interesting places to try, but in the theme of being thankful that you can go home again, a recent trip to Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar proved that everything is just the way I remember it when I visited those many years ago. The fact that they are open all day without any breaks in service should be cause for celebration as finding a parking space in front of their restaurant, and a seat right by their window was easy. The menu at Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar is separated into categories including Small Plates, Rice Cake, Bow'd Wings, Rice Bowls, Over the Grill, Lunch Special, Stew & Soup, Korean Ramen and Beverages. We arrived at a time when it wasn't necessarily lunch or dinner, but luckily it was a weekday, and their Lunch Special which was a Lunch Box or Doshirok, which was served with a choice of BBQ protein, Jhap Chae or sweet potato noodles, steamed rice, vegetable potstickers, and a side of radish soup. With our choice of Bulgogi or marinated thinly sliced beef we knew that would fill us up. Since there were three of us dining today, we really wanted to try one of their Over the Grill menu options and their Beef Short Ribs, which did come at an extra cost versus that of their other proteins, was right up our alley. This entrée comes sizzling on an iron skillet served on a bed of shredded cabbage, a bowl or steamed white or brown rice, side radish soup and the side dishes known as banchan, which are small plates filled with usually raw vegetables prepared in traditional Korean style. We were expecting the banchan items to be brought out first as they are all-you-can-eat, but rather unexpectedly everything was brought out at once with our soup, rice, banchan and two entrées all arriving at once. The Lunch Special was a very hearty meal, with a lot of Bulgogi provided, some of us at the table felt that the beef was a little cooked on the well-done side, but we loved how nicely fried the potstickers were and how surprisingly flavorful the potato noodles were. The real star of our meal was their Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs, for a reasonable 33 dollars we received a huge steaming hot iron bowl filled with ribs of all sizes. Each was flavorful thanks to the abundance of sauce on every rib which thankfully also covered the shredded cabbage, of which the menu at Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar said was supposed to be served as a ssam or cabbage wrap, but in reality you cannot really wrap your short ribs like that. But when combined with the steamed rice and small brined side dishes, especially the sweet and sour radish salad and the kimchee, it was the perfect meal and one we would all order upon return visit. Our total bill for this meal was $58.68 before gratuity was added in, which was rather reasonable considering how much food we enjoyed this afternoon, and we made sure to devour everything to not waste anything, and most importantly we enjoyed our time there as not many customers were present, which made for quite the peaceful meal, as all the natural sunlight from the floor to ceiling windows came shining through. Here's to the continued success of Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar with three locations coming back online, the only place they can go is up, and I am so happy to see them thriving after all these years here in Albany. read more

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I had been eyeing this spot for years and finally checked it out. The place was super busy. We sat by the window and the tables were sticky and it took about 15 mins for a server to take our order after we were seated. The food was ok. I really love Korean food but this spot just wasn't doing it for me. The salmon was so over cooked that it was hard. The tofu was ok. The Banchan and the soup were the best part of the meal. Things just did not taste fresh. read more

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This place is a staple! Solid good food! Bulgogi, Fried Chicken and Grilled Pork Bi Bim Bap are our favorites! We've been dining here since it opened. We celebrated a birthday here this week! If you've never been, what are you waiting for? It's pleasantly decorated, efficient staff & good consistently good food! read more

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Left Bowl'd feeling satisfied and happy! Ample parking, fast seating, and good service. Went with the kimchi pancake today and a soft tofu soup with seafood and rice cake; the creamy broth was rich and comforting, and needed after a long week. We also got the fish cake kimbap seasoned perfectly. Can't forget the banchan, especially with fresh seaweed! Love bringing friends here for a casual lunch or early dinner in Albany before walking it off on Solano Ave. Will definitely be back! read more

Bowl'd Korean Rice Bar - Korean Near Me - Albany, California

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