This restaurant was recommended to me ages ago and finally dined here for the first time. There is ample parking and this is conveniently located by the freeway for easy drive in and exit. Service was great, nice and efficient staff. I tried their All You Can Eat- AYCE Level C. What I tried- Meats: Beef Brisket, Beef Bulgogi, Beef Belly, and Marinated Beef Belly AYCE Sides: Steamed Egg, Corned Cheese, Kim Chi, Kimchi Fried Rice, and Sliced Garlic. Food was delicious and filling! They have cute decor for the holidays with the Christmas tree lit up and a red ribbon bow decor. Great option for Kbbq with easy parking and spacious seating with attentive and helpful staff. read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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FORCED TO PAY FOR A ROACH IN OUR FOOD! The OWNER Justin, COULDN'T EVEN APOLOGIZE. He was so rude. Told the server to offer us soda. He made sure that we paid for the entire meal. I'm even contacting health & food services. This is foul. -Our poor server tried to help us the best he could. He was so nice to us but it was not his fault.- read more

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The food was good, and it came out about 15-20 minutes after we sat down, which gave us time to start cooking it ourselves. Our drinks arrived shortly after. Unfortunately, the service was extremely disappointing. It felt like the staff didn't appreciate their guests at all. Earlier in the day, I called to make a 5:30 reservation. I was initially told one wasn't necessary, but I insisted since it was my wife's birthday. They agreed to take it. When we arrived, we were told our table would be ready in five minutes. While we were waiting, another group walked in and, without even being asked their name, she goes up to the group and says "reservation?!" and was immediately seated. We still hadn't been helped. After another five minutes, a larger party came in and was also seated ahead of us. At that point, I mentioned that we had a reservation. The host then told me they don't take reservations for parties of four or fewer, which directly contradicted what I had been told on the phone. To make matters worse, the first group seated ahead of us was also a party of four. She then claimed she didn't have our name down, but after I showed her the call on my phone, she finally seated us. The entire interaction made us feel unwelcome. Once seated, the service didn't improve. Our server barely spoke to us, no greeting, no smile, no effort to be hospitable. It felt cold and inattentive throughout. The only positive on the service side was the support staff. They were kind, helpful, and ended up being the ones who brought out our drinks. The food was pretty good. But the service and atmosphere is awful. I don't leave reviews ever. This was disrespectful and made my wife's birthday disappointing. read more

Buga Korean BBQ is hands down our favorite KBBQ spot in San Diego One thing we love is that they offer three different price tiers, so you can choose what fits what you're in the mood for--but no matter what, you're getting a ton of options. The variety of meats and sides is great, and you never feel like you're missing out or getting shortchanged. Everything is flavorful, fresh, and consistently good every time we go. It's one of those places we keep coming back to without hesitation. If you're looking for a solid KBBQ spot with great value and variety, this is it. read more

Korean BBQ is my absolute favorite food, and Buga is always my number one choice. We always choose their All-You-Can-Eat (AYCE) menu. Top-Quality AYCE Meats: Every single cut of meat is high-quality, incredibly fresh, and delicious and all the sides are super tasty.Staff take great care of us, keeping the grill going and the food flowing. We visit regularly and always leave happy and completely full. read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Incredible food are here - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Not a lot of restaurants offer lunch special now a days, so had to check Buga Korean BBQ when I saw their lunch special menu on Instagram. Buga Korean BBQ has a great selection, but right now their Galbitang Special is only $16.99 compared to its regular price of $18.99. This offer is good for Mon-Fri 11AM-3PM (except Holidays). The 2 beef bones were big and meaty. They do offer scissors to help you cut the meat. The meat is tender but I wish it was more melt in your mouth tender. Overall a very hearty soup. The side dishes were decent, but nothing memorable. Other Korean restaurants in the Convoy area have tastier banchans. It's still a very good deal! Service was minimal, but sufficient. They offer a cinnamon dessert drink and thought it was a nice way to end the meal. I am still interested to try their other lunch special menu items. read more

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Came here last night for my daughter's birthday and enjoyed the food and had a great time. Service was great, staff was cheerful and friendly. It takes a few times coming here to figure out what are the best things to grill from their expansive menu but Recommend highly. read more

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Stopped here on a Friday after hearing good things about this place. Opted for the A menu to try the rib eye and New York steak. Thought it was a decent place for an AYCE Korean bbq style meal, the sides were good and service was friendly and quick. I thought the restaurant was well ventilated as well, so didn't get the usual KBBQ stuffy feeling here, which I appreciated. Left here so stuffed that I didn't get to my second helping of each steak. Would recommend to give them a shot! read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

The meat was an easy 5/5 -- tender, fresh, and served in generous portions. The marinated kalbi was a standout, perfectly balanced and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. We skipped the AYCE option and went à la carte, which I always prefer -- better quality and more attention to detail in every cut. The kimchi jjigae was just okay for me, maybe a 3/5 -- a bit too sweet and missing that deep, spicy tang I usually crave. The soondubu was fine but nothing particularly memorable. That said, the banchan (side dishes) were excellent -- super fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. They really rounded out the meal and made the table feel like home. If you're coming for the meat, you'll leave happy. I'd absolutely go back just for the kalbi and banchan combo. read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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Maybe one day I'll give this place another chance... but first impression wasn't the best for sure. We put our names down for a table and several servers walked by and saw us - no greeting, no "I'll be right with you", no interaction whatsoever and we were the only family waiting there. When we got a table, the server sat us down, took our drink orders and then left us for almost 20 minutes. A different server came and finally took our first order and we then waited what felt like 20-30 minutes more for our first round of meats and a couple sides. Honestly it did damper our mood and it made the food less enjoyable for that reason. When we were ready for more meat, we had to ring the call bell twice. We rang it the first time, another 20 minutes goes by... Nothing. Rang it one more time, another 20 minutes and nothing. Finally our initial server that sat us down asked us if we were doing alright, and we were able to put in an order with him but it took so long and I don't think he was answering our call request - he just happened to walk by. The food is okay - standard KBBQ, but definitely felt pricey for what you get. And on top of that, its not that the service was bad, but it was like they were inattentive to only our table. It wasn't a super packed day either. The restaurant is clean but that's about the best thing I could say based off of our experience. read more

BUGA now has an AYCE option. We however stuck with one of the premium bbq sets. We ordered the Family combo (BC-6) it came with a whole rib eye steak, beef brisket, short rib fillet, long bone in short rib, tiger shrimp, seasoned short rib and beef belly. This combo came with a lot of premium short rib. I especially liked the long bone in short rib, I don't think I've seen this cut anywhere in San diego except at the Korean market. Most places offer the flanken cut (3 bone thinly sliced) type also called LA short rib. The AYCE did not offer the large bone in short rib so that's why we went this direction instead of the AYCE. I liked the cast iron grill in the table it was very hot. And seared the meat very well. As always we also ordered the steamed egg which was delicious. Service was great as they dropped off pitchers of ice water as we needed and also soju and beers came quickly after ordering them. They do have a private room which holds about 20 people which we sat in. What I like most about BUGA is the premium long bone short rib and the fact that there lots of parking. It's usually hard to find parking for korean food places. I have not tried the AYCE option but I really enjoyed the premium sets. Yes it's pricy but it's worth the quality of meat you get with it. They also have lunch specials which I'll have to try some time. Sorry no food pics this time I was busy cooking and drinking. read more

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Came for dinner to celebrate my husband's birthday. We ordered the A menu which gave us access to the B and C menu. Meat quality and selection was excellent. Lots of tasty banchan. They were also very nice in bringing a birthday treat. Look forward to coming back sometime and try the lunch special. read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Plenty of room around this big grilling table. - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

This might just be my favorite AYCE kbbq in San Diego! Everything from the meat to the side dishes were all very high quality. You don't get that too often, the servers were very nice and helpful and nothing disappointed! It's not too loud or too quiet in there. 10/10 experience would come again to try the à la carte items! read more

If you want sweet food including sweet kimchi sweet banchan sweet everything this might be a place for you but kimchi jjigae is sweet???? I've been here many times but the sweetness of this level is unbearable. I won't be coming back again. You fooled me like 5 times only because this was a good location for me and my friend to lunch during work week. Never again. read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Sugar in everything - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Weather you dine in at "Buga Korean BBQ" restaurant, pickup, or have the Korean food delivered. Know that you have a great selection, or premium selection of meats and sides to choose from. I did noticed on the "Buga Korean BBQ" menu that if one orders "A" this also includes "B", and "C" selection of meats. Or if you order "B" this includes "C" selection of meats. (See picture of menu) The Sides are really good: Steamed Egg, Corn Cheese, Lettuce Wraps, Small Cold Noodle Soup, Small Spicy Cold Noodle, Kimchi Stew, Soon-Tofu Stew, and Rice and on top of that you have another fifteen others sides to choose from. Thank you, "Buga Korean BBQ", for the great traditional Korean meal. Much love and much respect for the selection of food, quailty of food, and the quality of service. read more

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I just cant see why a higher rating than 3 for this place. The restaurants looks clean and nice inside but it is the food, flavoring, and the cuts of meat that really isn't great. It was either toooooo sweet, or noooo flavor. The squid was too sweet, the tajin garlic pork belly was disgusting, the galbi was not flavorful, and the marinated rib fingers was not marinated but the texture was good when you cook it well done. Today my husband chose menu B. Not worth it! The shrimp was soooooo marinated you lose any shrimp flavor existence and it was pasty! The real reason this place almost got a 2 is bc the corn cheese was gross. It was all liquid mayo. Tasted so nasty. The fish cakes were excellent and kimchi was awesome. The service was good and on top of it. They always kept it rolling and food always came out. They always gave me ice in a timely manner. This place is quite noisy bc its busy! Ill pass on this place. But I hope other patrons will continue to enjoy this place. The people seem to be very nice. read more

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Food was top notch. The service was nice. The A menu with the rib eye and black tiger shrimp was good. Wish that was unlimited lol. My daughter loved their steam eggs. The presentation for the meat was nice. Never have I ever saw anyone present meat to us in a shape of a flower. Great selections and a variety of side dishes. Wished they still had the kimchi pancake as an unlimited side dish though. read more

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Solid place to get your Korean food cravings satisfied! They have a bbq menu as well as à la carte menu with all the traditional Korean dishes like appetizers, soups, stews, rice, and noodle dishes! Their banchan is always fresh and seasonal and delicious. We ordered their nengmyun (cold icy noodles in a clear beef broth with sliced beef, cucumbers, egg) and yukaejang (spicy beef soup). Both were delicious and flavorful and the portions are generous here! They have a free parking lot and the service is kind and friendly and attentive. They have lunch specials and combos during the week from Monday-Friday. They will refill your banchan if you ask! They offer warm or cold barley tea to start your meal and at the end they give you a sweet cinnamon jujube ginger Korean traditional tea! The ambiance inside is traditional and spacious, great for small or bigger parties! Prices are average and fair for the quality of food you're getting. read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Banchan and nengmyun - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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First time here and WOW!!! I am so stuffed and happy to have found this gem while being in town. I'm not gunna lie but I missed the exit like 2-4 times after 30 mins I found the parking lot. Parking was great and there's a lot available. The lot is shared with motel 6 so keep that in mind. Food- IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD!! I wish I could take this to go but I stuffed myself til I looked pregnant the meats aren't always seasoned but you can always ask for sauce for your liking. We ordered a lot and everything was amazing! The lettuce wraps were so fresh and crunchy I had ate a whole batch to myself. The corn cheese was so perfect and cheesy. Service- staff here is very attentive and will swing by almost every second lol I love it because they want to make sure you are fed! read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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Love their lunch time happy hour AYCE. I only go to Buga for kbbq. Unlimited side dishes. Their cold noodles are so bomb too. Service is always nice. Ambiance: Restaurant is packed almost always dinner time. We often go there for lunch. read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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We were looking for a kbbq spot white visiting SD and found this AYCE KBBQ place right off the freeway. The meats were yummy and the sides were yummy as well. The staff was really nice and attentive, we came in a Tuesday night, the place was clean and it wasn't busy but it wasn't dead so I recommend! read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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Solid experience for some quality kbbq outside of Los Angeles. Although, I still think the LA spots are in another league of their own. Buga features common kbbq fixings with pretty good service, which is what you should expect from kbbq places. Plenty of meat options to choose from, you'll get your fixing and leave pretty full and satisfied. The one item that I thought was weird was how their small intestines was cut up. It wasn't cut up how you'd normally expect, but it was sliced opened butterfly style, which I've never experienced before. Maybe you can clean it better if cut like this, but the result was that it wasn't as tasty. Shame. Big restaurant with many tables set up in a classic kbbq style. Brightly lite with buttons, but every time we pushed it, no one came by, so I think the buttons were either left over from a previous restaurant or that they don't use it. read more

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*sigh. save your money. AYCE Premium not worth it. this is one of the more pricier places in the area but there are other AYCE that is less $$ & better & more options IMO. service was ok. i paid the overage charge cause we tapped out earlier than i thought we would. we didn't over order...just 2 rounds of meat for our table. we didn't end up with much, just a couple pieces of short rib & bulgogi & they wouldn't let me take the 4 bites of rice & 2 mandoo. give me a break! we didn't keep ordering banchan, just 1 round, & you're throwing it away anyway. & i paid the overage charge. so for that, i won't be back! read more

A delightful Korean BBQ with a great menu and wonderful staff. I've been looking for a new KBBQ since my last one raised their prices and changed their management. This place was on my list to try as I've seen it every time I head back from convoy. It was definitely worth the trip. Not only are their menu tiers good value, they don't skimp on the meats like so many other places. Their staff is very attentive and polite. They have their own parking lot and the place is nice inside like a restaurant should be. They don't blast music like a dance club inside like so many of the other bbqs do these days so you can actually converse with your friends. Overall a great place and my new go to Korean bbq. read more

Best Korean all you can eat bbq in San Diego. The short ribs are amazing. I also love the shrimp. I got corn cheese for the side. I got my 40 worth of food tonight. Service is nice and quick. Inside is very clean. read more

Had a really uncomfortable experience at Buga Korean BBQ in Clairemont. The food was underwhelming for the price, but the service was the real issue....... Staff kept looking over at our table in a way that felt rude and made us uncomfortable the entire time. One waiter, I think his name was Bryant ....was especially unprofessional. While my husband stepped away to the bathroom, he started trying to flirt with me, which was inappropriate and awkward. Overall, bad vibes, poor service, and not somewhere I'd return or recommend. read more

Arrived to the restaurant and was seated within 5 minutes. They took our order almost immediately and of course settled for our typical meats which included brisket, bulgogi and thick pork belly. Asked for our banchan which is also included in the all you can eat price. Meats were fresh and tender! Service was attentive and we were able to get what we needed immediately. Loved how convenient the restaurant is. Right off the freeway and hassle free with parking. Will definitely come back! I would rate this as my top 3 in favorites for kbbq! read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Maybe they had a bad night. We ordered takeout on a Monday evening: spicy pork bulgogi combo with beef soft tofu stew and their bibimbap. This was quite possibly the worst Korean food we have had in the last ten years. They provided banchan (side dishes) that were clearly old. The fish cake was dry and the edges were hard--clearly these were not put together today. The daikon and mat kimchi were old and over fermented. The bibimbap was equally disappointing. The sauce was just straight up gochujang and not the traditional bibimbap sauce. Pure laziness. The spicy pork was stringy and tasted like it was steam cooked. Soggy and sad. The beef in the beef soft tofu was the hard fatty ends of beef stew meat. Hard, not tasty and borderline dog food. Giving them a 2-star to be kind but they really don't deserve it. There are plenty of other Korean options in this area. I recommend you look elsewhere or just take a chance that they had a bad night. read more

One of my favorite AYCE KBBQ spots in Convoy area! We always get seated really quickly and service is fast too. For 2 people for the C menu, it's around $90 total. read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Menu as of June 2025 - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

I've been back here at least 4 times this year. I like their side options for the ayce kbbq, best steamed egg and corn cheese I've had! Their meat marinades are good too and their meat quality doesn't disappoint. I love their banchan which is important to me :) their service is almost always good. Just 1 time we went it was slow and not very friendly. Personally I thought the tiger shrimp on the A premium menu and everything else on it is underwhelming so after trying it once I didn't want it again. I like B menu for a good amount of options. We went back again last week and had their traditional entrees. We are huge fans of the spicy braised beef pot with cheese! Perfect for 2, in fact we probably brought 1-2lbs of it home leftover. I wish it was actually spicy, it was a 0 on the spice scale for us. Regardless we still loved it a lot and would have again! Our servers were super nice and attentive too! read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Cold cabbage soup and banchan - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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This is one of the OG Korean bbq spots in Clairemont. Probably opened before I was born lol. It's been over a decade since I've been here but I wanted to revisit the spot. Came here around 6:30pm on Saturday. Waited about 10 mins. When we left there was a lot people waiting to be seated. Get here early. The food and service is quick. You have 3 different AYCE tier. Favorite will always be brisket. We tried a couple marinated meat and it was flavorful. They also have plenty of side dishes. A solid kbbq spot with average price. read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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Looking for a good KBBQ spot in San Diego? Buga has an affordable lunch deal that hits the spot. Food: 5/5 We tried the $28 lunch special, which includes a selection of 9 different meats and access to all the listed side dishes. Be strategic with the sides because ordering everything will fill you up too quickly. I recommend the glass noodles, steamed egg, fish cakes, rice paper, and corn cheese. The brisket and beef belly were my favorites. Both were very tender. Service: 4/5 Each table has a call button to get the server's attention, which is helpful. Our first server wasn't very friendly, and we had to repeatedly ask for water refills. Eventually, we asked a different server who was much more attentive. He brought over a container of water like the ones we saw at other tables and made sure we had everything we needed. Ambiance: 5/5 The restaurant is clean, organized, and has a modern upscale interior. It's spacious and well-maintained, which adds to the overall dining experience. Overall I'll definitely be coming back. It's rare to find quality Korean BBQ under $30. The lunch deal includes great-tasting sides and essentials like brisket and beef belly. While service could be more consistent, the food and value make Buga one of my go-to KBBQ spots in San Diego. read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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Food was good. Like the selection they have for the AYCE bbq. Now the caveat for this review is that we went on Mother's Day and it was the busiest I've seen this place. They were slow in taking orders, but once they did food and drinks arrived quickly. I have been on a regular day and service might have been understaffed. The feel of the restaurant is not anything unique. Typical Korean Bbq. Lots of tables and smoke catchers. It was clean and able to accommodate a lot of people. Maybe too many people. read more

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LOVEEED THE ATMOSPHERE such a cool vibe with my server Glen and the manager John! Everyone here is super helpful! I came here alone and I absolutely LOVED IT! I was in my own little world! BEEF BULGOLGI IS UNMATCHEDDDDDDD!!!! It was a nice spot and they have happy hour 11-2:30 perfect for a Friday Lunch read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Had a glass of Hess perfect lunch! - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

I went here a few years ago and it wasn't the greatest experience, but I decided to give it another shot and as a kbbq aficionado, was I impressed! They have an amazing deal for lunch and there's not too many people, so the service was super quick. I went again for dinner the following week and the ambiance was much busier and loud, but no dip in meat quality or service. I did have an issue with the grill since it wasn't getting hot enough. The server tried to fix it, but we ended up just changing tables. The grill was a cast iron, so it stayed super hot and we didn't need a grill change at all. Considering the bonchon, meat quality, and service, I'd rate this one of the best kbbq spots in San Diego. read more

We were craving KBBQ and found Buga based on hearing good things. We came in on a Saturday night and were immediately seated. They were decorated for Halloween and it was nice to see how spirited they were. One thing that immediately stood out was how CLEAN everything was including the bathrooms. My fiancé and I ordered from tier C which was about $32 per person. We ordered plenty of marinated beef belly which stole the show. I also enjoyed the ssamjang sauce and rice cakes. The service was excellent and we were constantly checked up on by the wait staff. The meats were fresh and of good quality. We would love to come back! read more

Buga Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here to celebrate my guy's birthday and it was soo good! The quality of meats is incredible and near everything was delicious including the sides. I was absolutely obsessed with the fish cakes and I really liked their kimchi, which I can be pretty picky about at times. It was my first time eating kbbq with Sticky Rice Wrap, but now I can't imagine eating it any other way. It worked perfectly with every single meat option. We did the B tier as the A didn't seem worth it considering you only get 1 order per guest for half the items. For meats, I did not like the Garlic Pork Belly at all and the Spicy Squid wasn't that spicy. Everything else was really good and my favorites were the Beef Brisket, Beef Bulgogi, Marinated Rib Fingers and Marinated Bone-in LA Short Rib. The doenjang (soy bean paste) we got worked with all meats and was soo good! 4.5 but rounding to 5 because this is definitely the best kbbq I've had in SD. read more

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Delicious Korean bbq with really good prices! The happy menu which included a lot of the good and basic meats like brisket, bulgogi, pork belly, chicken, ect is only $26.99 for all you can eat! You really can't beat that! Unlimited side dishes of your choice. Great option! read more

Definitely a new favorite KBBQ place in the convoy area! The price is reasonable for the meat you get and there's a wide selection of sides to choose from. The quality of meat is decent and the side dishes are sooo good. The best meat is definitely all of the short rib items and the marinated pork belly. The marinade they use on the LA short rib and the spicy pork belly is so yummy! Best side dishes were the corn cheese and steamed egg. Parking is a little weird because it's next to a Motel 6 but the owner told us it would be okay to park in the spots for the Motel too. The service was really nice and attentive. It was a Wednesday night, but it was surprisingly packed! No wait for a group of 5 though which was nice. read more

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Let me start off by saying I rarely ever leave reviews. This place was so bad that I had to make a review on it. Let's start with the service: they forgot several of our orders and had to constantly remind them. Our server also barely spoke English. Now the food: soybean stew was insanely salty and mushrooms were so chewy that it felt like I was chewing on rubber. Couldn't ever swallow it. Now to the meats: we're ordered tier 3 (highest level) and we're extremely disappointed. All the meats were low quality cuts & bland; they lacked flavor/ texture. No salt and they were super chewy. I think the only thing we enjoyed in the menu was the corn cheese. Everything else was extremely disappointing. I feel like we got ripped off of our hard earned money. Save your money and time go elsewhere read more