the service is awesome as always everyone is so sweet here, they kept stacking us with sides when we asked theyre so quick with it, we were never starving or waiting long!! the music in here is so wonderful, who needs coachella when they play his whole discography!! read more

Looking for a KBBQ spot that is within 10 minutes from us and Chris Korean BBQ popped up. The shop is clean, spacious tables, and pretty good ventilation. The banchan was diverse, but slightly over-refrigerated. Meat quality was good, not as much marbling on some pieces, good selection for ayce and the prices were reasonable. Overall, a decent ayce KBBQ spot in Pasadena if you're not looking to drive out. read more

Went here on a Friday night. The place wasn't overly packed yet around 6 PM. Casual bbq place in Pasadena. Service was decent, they don't seem to hover around while dining, which I can appreciate to focus and savor more on my food. But at anytime I'm sure they can assist with any questions or needs. I got the BBQ box type with chicken meat, I don't recommend. The way the chicken was cut was too thick and wasn't enjoyable. It was too chewy and for a thigh it didn't have much flavor. I grilled to cook it more and to have some charring, didn't make a difference. After I picked what I can eat, I asked if AYCE option has chicken breasts and I was informed only thighs. Oh well, but I did enjoy their banchans and that did fill me up. As far as their BBQ Plate servings were more than sufficient. A la carte style good amount of portion. I didn't see if they have Boricha to offer, but perhaps I can ask next time. read more

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Definitely will recommend visiting this place...simple and nice service ..very kewl People and love to eat and relax...love the side dishes and there is a parking space...check it out and try it... read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Start of the game...lunch special... - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

I gave this place another try for their bbq this time and it was a success. It's good for the weekday lunch price. The quality is just ok, I wouldn't go out of my way to pay more than the weekday lunch prices. There was one server and she was very helpful and one food runner. Their banchan is just okay. read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Menu 3/2026 - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

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My friend Conrad and I went to the Norton, and we wanted a solid bite to eat after. And when I say solid, I mean like we wanted to be fed in copious amounts, since we both had had breakfast but skipped lunch so the only solution was now to eat ourselves silly, and buffets tend to help with this goal. And thus this is the process that we discussed to decide to eat at an AYCE BBQ spot. The closest one that we found was this one, and truthfully I hesitated because the name of the joint did not inspire confidence in tradition and fare. I mean, who would you expect to have better Mexican street food: Guillermo's House of Oaxacan Taco's or Mary Sue's House of Oaxacan Tacos? Yes, I know that a rose will smell as sweet by any other name, and thus chilaquiles can taste as good no matter who made them either Jorge or Pierre but I think most people can understand that when one is attaching fare to name, cohesion must be clear as to not confuse the possible eater---- like what would one expect at Glinda's House of Pho? I was so happy with this experience that I will name the flaw in the food right now so the stain does not eclipsed the entire value of the Prada blouse. On the second flight of meat, Conrad ordered skirt steak. This was the only meat that was a miss, like I legit could not chew it. The pieces were so thick (don't think hot dog thick) that it was hard to chew them down to a digestible or swallowable bite. Yes, my napkin received what I could not finish. But again, the experience was so wonderful, apart from this, that I want this to be the blemish that gives this restaurant personality, not the flaw in the masterpiece that shadows the entire wonder of the sum. We went early in the evening, so we only waited like 15 minutes before being sat. I am not sure if this place ever gets to the 1 hour wait of other Korean places that I have been, but since we were hungry the wait was just right. The price for the regular meats and sides was like 42.00 dollars and the price of the premium cuts was 52.00. But I want to stress that the 42 and 52 price points differ only because the higher cost option offered shrimp, squid, and octopus. It was easy for Conrad and I to stay within the lesser priced men u, we did not have a hankering for seafood and I think most people would feel the same way. The meats were fantastic--- thin, flavorful, robust, diverse, it was a buffet that came to us and we engaged, without having to be mindful of a sneeze guard or dropping croutons unto ranch. We got to play with our food, but, with respect to what was offered, like a ballerina of fame dancing amidst foams and bubbles. I especially liked the pork belly and the rib eye steak. And the pork belly was thick and a slab, while the steak was thin and frail, more in a delicate way that rips beautifully instead of tearing easily. And the sides were so fantastic too! I got cheese and corn, and it came first. It was placed in the middle of the grill for it to warm. I got white rice, I got two Korean pancakes, we got a salad (a wee drench in sauce I, and Conrad, skipped the miso because it was hot. We had macaroni salad, we got seconds on that. The chicken was fine but not at the level of the other stuff. If you are a fan of korean bbq this place does extremely well, and worth a drive, and multiple visits to fully understand. I say that because I combined the pancake, the steak, the salad into a bite. I wonder what else I can combine into bites? When Conrad and I enter the space, he took the seat that would disallow him from viewing the crowd. He gave that sight to me. When the food came, he cooked, he helmed the grill and provided me meat as it cooked. I did not have to worry about where I sat, I did not have to worry about the meat, or its flavor, or the sides, or the service (it was near damn impeccable), so all of it conspired for me to be in the moment. When all aspects were aligned, I was able to zone out and see the tv but I am not into sports, I was able to hear the song that goes... there is no place I rather be, and thanks to all that aligned well, I was able to not only hear the words but also fully feel them, a rarity in my life--- to have a moment scored by the perfect song! And this happened here at Chri's Korean BBQ, which truly means that we should not judge a book by its name. read more

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The few AYCE KBBQ options in my area gets crowded pretty quickly. Luckily, this is one of the spots nearby me where you can get a decent ayce kbbq meal without having to wait. I wouldn't say it's an amazing spot or anything but it hits the spot and you get what you expect. They have all the typical kbbq meats but I typically just load up on brisket and bulgogi items. They also have all the side dishes in your usual korean restaurant. Steamed egg ofc is available too which I'm always a fan of. The price was pretty normal for an ayce kbbq place. Parking is pretty easy. The service was fine. Interior was pretty wide and had good lighting. read more

We came here for a business lunch. The place is clean and the service was attentive. We ordered the standard lunch special. There is plenty of meat choices and sides. Banchan is all included. We love the meat quality and the variety. We all agreed we need to skip our meeting after lunch as we knew we would be food coma after this all-you-can-eat lunch. This was the only meal I had for the day! read more

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More like 3.5 but I'm rounding up. Came in to celebrate friend's birthday. Inside is simple and clean. Decent amount of tables and booths for seating. I like how the exhaust pipes are closer to the grill to help cut back on smoke and smell. We got the classic ayce menu. It was good. My favs were the marinated galbi, beef belly, and ribeye steak. Service was ok. Honestly a bit slow. Friendly staff though. We made a reservation for our party of 8 and they were able to accommodate us easily. There's a small parking lot in back but it fills up fast. Otherwise there's street parking but you might have to walk a block or two. read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I was not happy about waiting 15 minutes to be seated, there were plenty of open tables and booths. For a Saturday at noon, you would think that they would have more staff waiting tables. Let's just give them the benefit of doubt and assume this is a one off. Everything else was great, (no refills on soda though) the staff was pretty attentive, our server was very talkative and understanding. Small restroom (one person at a time) Very clean. We got the lunch special, We definitely went over the 90 min seating time so they aren't too strict when it's not overly packed. I have no issues with the meats, everything tasted so good. Just wish we have the marinated meats a chance in the beginning (it's just harder to tell if it's cooked) We go for speed and return on interest. Lastly there are little spigots facing the grill looks like a safety feature to extinguish fires. I felt a bit safer since we had a little toddler with us. See you again soon Chris kbbq read more

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I have been to Chris Korean BBQ a few times and each time I remember differently. This time we came for a weekend lunch and parked on the street which doesn't have a time limit on Sundays. So parking isn't bad and restricted as much. We entered through the front door this time which I remembered long ago coming through the back due to finding parking. It wasn't busy during lunch and there wasn't a line at the front but quite some tables were filled, we only waited around 10minutes to be seated at a booth table near the front. The table was clean and the seating was a bit high for my kid but he got used it it quickly. We were hungry so we knew what to order right away. We had 3 servers by the time we got seated and selected the lunch AYCE menu. We had a 4 year old with us who doesn't really eat so I'm glad he's no charge because honestly he just had rice... We got brisket, beef belly, pork belly, pork steak, bulgolgi, and marinated pork. They were each great, good quality, and nothing bad to say. The sides were great, such as kimchi, potato salad, macaroni salad, cucumber salad m, and lettuce salad, but I especially enjoyed the spicy fish cakes and I had to ask for a bowl of it because they were warm too. The spicy miso soup, steamed egg, and onion salad too some time but by the time it came it made the meats taste even better. We also got some super red radish wraps, rice, and vegetable pancakes. We had every combination of bites to mix and match and try and each time it was great. The soda isn't refillable as it came in a can, I'm usually means each can is a price so we shared one together. We got water refilled frequently which is great. At the end we asked for our check and finished the rest of our food. Overall, I had a great meal and I would definitely come back for a filling lunch. read more

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Been here a few times now and it's always really good. I love the meats and the sides are always fresh and arrive quickly. Unfortunately, I felt a little disappointed with the service on our last visit. Since we only have 90 minutes for the AYCE we try to get through each round as quick as possible and the slow service didn't help with it. I think she forgot to put our order in a few times. We ended up getting everything we wanted but probably could have had another round if the service had been a little faster. I'm usually pretty patient but since we're being timed I would prefer the service to be a little more attentive. The meat was still really good though. I also liked the steamed egg. read more

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We got here on a Sunday evening and got seated right away. We chose the all you can eat (basic version). What I liked: - Brisket - Marinated galbi What I didn't like: - Skirt steak - Boneless ribeye steak - Corn cheese Honestly, the only meat that I could chew through is the brisket. All the other meats we ordered were too tough that I was not able to chew through at all. The corn cheese was disappointing as well. The cheese does not seem to be of decent quality. Overall, not a great KBBQ experience and will not be back, especially considering the price point is not low. Staff are friendly though. There's a small parking lot at the back but it's usually filled up. Easy street parking nearby. read more

Love this place! They are generous with their banchan. I always get the lunch set and really enjoy it here. The service is consistently good. My husband and I come for lunch, and every visit has been great. I have no complaints. Their pancake, kimchi, and pasta salad are definitely my favorites. The price is pretty decent. Will def come back read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Brisket - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

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5 stars because the service was amazing! Andrew, the waiter, was extremely attentive and accommodating and answered any questions I had. The banchan was extremely fresh and flavorful and love how they served salad too. I ended up ordering squid bimbimbap and it wasn't like traditional bimbimbap but it was still pretty good! I don't think I'll be ordering it again bc it didn't come with the traditional bimbimbap veggies but I'm glad I tried it. It was pretty chill for a Saturday night and the music they played inside was great. Can't wait to come back! read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Spicy Squid bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

This is a great place to take a large group for Korean BBQ. I recently attended a nearly 20 person gathering here and three orders of Family Meal D was enough to serve us all with leftovers! The venue has both indoor and outdoor dining options. The outdoor venue is a nice choice for huge groups, has some nice greenery, and heat lamps. The food itself focused more on quantity than quality as several of the cuts were more fatty than I personally like (ymmv). As other reviewers have mentioned, the flavors are not necessarily the best, but the value is incredible for a party. read more

Chris Korean BBQ - The sides included with the Family meals "d" (serves 5-6 people) - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This place has the best kimchi I've ever had. All the little sides that come with the meats are really good but the kimchi? ‍ Really fun place to come with friends, prices are reasonable. Food is delicious. read more

Yooo, I was craving some tofu soup so I ordered through DoorDash. I had the beef tofu soup with sliced pork belly and rice on the side. When I was eating the food, I didn't think much of it. I thought the pork belly didn't taste very good and the inside of the meat was BRIGHT RED. I shouldn't have been so nonchalant about it but continued to eat about 4 pieces until I tapped out. I had some soup which tasted fine but I know the main culprit was the pork belly. I KID YOU NOT, the very next morning, I had a serious case of food poisoning. I was literally on the floor with stomach cramps turned up to the max! I took some Pepto-Bismol which was a huge mistake as I threw it up immediately and it only prolonged my suffering and pain. I couldn't retain any liquids for 8 hours. I was in the bathroom the whole day begging for my life. I do not wish this pain on my worst enemy. Never again. read more

On the recommendation of one of my co-workers (who used to work at this establishment), I made the 30-mile trek to this Korean BBQ place near Old Town Pasadena, and was not disappointed at all. I went there for lunch, and there was plenty of seating.....relaxed atmosphere, TVs going, playing ESPN, so I can enjoy sports.....and the servers Erik and Luis were very attentive. I had the Hot Pot Bulgogi Bibimbap, which was excellent, so hats off to the chef as well. Thank you Chris Korean BBQ (and special thanks to my co-worker for recommending her old workplace). Hopefully, more visits to come!!! read more

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I love Chris's bbq. This is my goto spot for kbbq when I'm in this area. Their meat is always fresh, the banchans (side dishes) and soups are always delicious and they're service is awesome! If you like beer, the ice cold draft beers are a must. It's soooo refreshing and ice cold ugh~I miss it soooo much but, I don't drink anymore :( they do get pretty busy, so come early and hungry! read more

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I always get the Galbi short ribs-it's that good. If you can, eat in because the unlimited sides make the meal so much better. When I order takeout, it usually comes with just three sides: kimchi, bean sprouts, and that fish thing I don't love. Eating there lets you enjoy the full experience with all the delicious banchan. Highly recommend! read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've driven by this place every single day for the past 6 years and never knew that the business is still ups and running! Management please spend some time on marketing cuz the food is delicious and it's a great place for some kbbq! I don't eat beef so all I had was marinated chicken but man I can have that chicken all day long it's soooo yummy! Steam eggs can be a bit more flavorful, soup was a bit salty, side dishes were surprisingly yummmyyy!! The restaurant is quite small and I think the largest party they can accommodate is up to 8. read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

I love the food, service is quick and the staff is very friendly, place is ok they got weird seats but it's all good! read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

There were four in our group and saw this Korean Bbq AYCE. It seems locals already know about this place and it was almost full when we came in around 5:30 pm. read more

Went to Chris Korean BBQ after a trade show event. Small spot in the corner with limited parking. Came with a group just as they were opening and was seated fast. There was one server but service was quick and attentive. Food was great, side dishes were on point. read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Very interesting place. Chadol is sliced kinda thick but flavor was good. The steak (ribeye?) was delish (but isnt really traditional korean bbq) but i appreciated it. Beef belly... as usual very fatty The marinated galbi i couldnt have more than 1 pc bc it was way too sweet. The joomooluk was good and fresh...it was almost too sweet. Pork jowl and belly...just ok. Very standard ayce kbbq... if i come back ill just have the steak and an order of joomooluk. The banchans were ok and they even had ssamjang. Their sesame oil was nice and strong. I also liked the type of salt they used. The interior is dated and needs some tlc. Theres a small lot in the back, maybe only fits like 10 cars max. Oh there was a back patio and i wish i ate out there. Looked cuter than inside. We had the standard set 39.99. read more

My group and I had the absolute best time here. The service was amazing. They're so friendly. Everything came out in a timely manner and everything just went so smoothly. From start to finish: ordering our meat, receiving it, cooking it, all 8-9 of our grill changes, I mean everything was so easy. The servers were able to anticipate many of our requests. Parking on the street was super easy. The only criticism that I have of the parking situation is at the street gets super dark. But that is not at all the fault or within the control of the restaurant. It was a great midweek meal for our friends and family. Not to mention, the price point is perfect. It is not too over-the-top, but it is not so inexpensive that you questioned the quality of the meat. This is a hidden gem! read more

Love it good came out fast and service is top notch their base menu has what most places have as premium . Super good food

My first time here and the service here sucked, we were greeted by our server not sure if his name is Tucayo, but after that he paid no attention to our table. He took our first order of meats but did not bother to turn on the grill. He kept trying to flag him down and kept avoiding eye contact with our table. About 15 minutes later one of the bussers was clearing a table behind us and we got his attention. He turned on the grill for us. However, the gas container was really low on fuel, so hardly any flame was burning, got that fixed by someone else. When we wanted to order another round of meet, we had to flag another server to take our second order. It was becoming frustrating that we had to reach out to someone who wasn't our server to help take our order. While seeing that our server was attentive with one table between the five outside. Other guests were complaining about the same server not stopping by their table as well. Over I could say that the food was good, but not worth the poor service. If anyone plans on coming here hopefully the service is better than what I experienced. I'm giving the food two stars and the service no stars. read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Spicy Bulgogi and corn cheese - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

I'm really not a fan of writing about places I didn't enjoy, especially when the issues are due to short staffing and unfortunately, that was the case the day my family and I came to eat here. This spot is just your typical Cape barbecue place, and since it's local to me, I thought I'd give it a try. We were hungry and craving Korean BBQ. From the moment we walked in, it was clear the staff was overwhelmed. Several tables were filled, and others hadn't been cleaned yet. I was a little concerned right away, and unfortunately, it took about 15 minutes before anyone even acknowledged us at the front. Still, we were too hungry to leave and head downtown to L.A., so we decided to wait it out. When someone finally came over, they did let us know they were short-staffed. What bothered me, though, was that even though they were busy, the staff seemed like they didn't really care. They looked worn out, and while I've never worked as a server, I have worked in fast food. I know firsthand how stressful it can get when you're short-staffed,but this felt especially bad. The food itself was okay nothing to write home about. After we were seated, the service was just average. There were a couple of mishaps, like forgetting items we asked for multiple times. By then, between the hunger and the frustration, I'd already made up my mind that I probably won't be back. It's not that the food was terrible, it wasn't, but everything else made the experience hard to overlook. To be fair, maybe I just caught them on a bad day. The interior was nice, the ambiance was low-key, and it had a pretty cool vibe. But overall, it just wasn't the best experience. read more

I got the beef bibimbap as takeout and it was excellent. It came with generous sides like kimchi, bean sprouts, bulgogi, and a flavorful soup that was a really nice touch. The beef was tender and the bibimbap was fresh and delicious with the fried egg on top. The restaurant smelled amazing when I walked in, so I definitely want to try it as a sit-down spot, but I'll also be ordering takeout again. Very glad to have found this place in Pasadena so I don't have to drive to San Gabriel or K-Town. read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Beef bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

Nice little place tucked away on Colorado Blvd. It even has an outdoor area for a pojangmacha feel. Grill at the table with all you can eat options. We were having lunch. Got the all you can eat anyway. Reasonable prices with tasty food. Server did not grill at the table. We ended up burning our meat a little. Plenty of good food and meat choices. read more

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This is one of the few k-bbq all you can eat place that accepts 1pax patron. Price wise is pretty regular but the portion is more towards lunch portion rather than dinner portion. So i get what other reviewers commented about the pricing. This is my first time seeing an asian restaurant filling rice takeout box not to the brim. I ordered tofu stew and spicy pork. The spicy pork was nice, but the tofu stew is just alright. The banchan is pretty good though, doesn't taste like an afterthought, tastes like proper banchan. Maybe i should give them another try, based on the banchan the stew should've taste great like most korean restaurant with good banchans. read more

Love this place so much I can eat it 24/7 I just wish they would be cheaper I love their service they always check if we need anything read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

This might have been one of the worst Korean bbq spots I have ever been to. Service was spotty throughout the whole experience, maybe because it was due to the fact that they only had 3 employees cycling through 20+ tables. The meat was subpar at best and I definitely wont be coming back. At least Tahaad Pettiford was playing. read more

Fast seating, good AYCE prices, good service, good meats & sides. There are few kbbq places in Pasadena so this is a hidden gem

We didn't make dinner reservations New Years Eve because we were in the area traveling for work. Only a couple of places had last minute openings, including Chris's Korean BBQ. What's great about Chris's is that you can feed an army relatively inexpensively with their pre-set family meals that in addition to a variety of meat, also include soups, sides, and a bunch of other things. The "serves 2-3" or "4-5" is absolutely incorrect, though, unless the unit is a hungry football player. We were 4 people and ordered the set for 4-5. It was easily enough food to comfortably feed at least 7-8 people in our opinion. The service here is great as well. What's less than great is that Chris's is NOT very authentic. The taste of many of the Korean dishes was just okay. It's clear the focus is placed primarily on the meat here, which is fine, but it's too bad that people will have japchae here and think this is what it's supposed to taste like. If you want a more authentic experience, go to Baekjeong in nearby Temple City. On the other hand, if you just want to feed a hungry family without breaking the bank, Chris's is the place to go. read more

I was looking for a Korean bbq restaurant in the Pasadena area to meet up with my friends with since they were staying in the SGV and we were coming from the Valley. We wanted to avoid Ktown because of the traffic on that particular night but still wanted decent, authentic Korean food. Chris Korean BBQ definitely fit the bill! I liked that there were set menus in addition to AYCE. We went with the Family Menu D for 7 of us (4 adults and 3 kids) and it was the perfect amount of food. The meat options included beef, pork, and even chicken and shrimp which was great because one of the kids isn't really into beef. Banchan had a nice variety and were tasty. We did have to order rice paper, radish wraps, and steamed egg separately since they weren't included in the Family set. Service was good. Although they don't cook the meat for you like some other kbbq joints, it was easy to flag someone down when we needed something. I called to make a reservation just in case. It wasn't really needed because they had plenty of room, but I liked that they take reservations. They ask whether you prefer to sit outside in the patio or inside. We opted for inside. Parking was easy to find on the side street. They do have a small lot but it fills up quickly. read more

The restaurant was nice and cool when we walked in. Came in an hour after opening on a Monday and there was no wait for a party of 4. Food came out quickly and servers were attentive. Tasty side dishes. read more

Chris Korean BBQ - Bulgogi and Pork Belly on the grill with tasty Banchan that came with our meals - Korean Near Me - Pasadena, California

I visited last night with a large group from work. They were very accommodating to our oversized party and had our table set right away. Even though only four of us arrived at first they were willing to seat and serve us with an incomplete party. Servers immediately started bringing out delicious small bites like pickles, some kind of potato salad, and bean sprouts. Once our entire party arrived they were quick to get food orders in and then came back around for drink orders. All of the meats we tried were delicious. The sake was light and refreshing. The miso soup was very unique compared to my usual experience with basic miso soup. It was a bit spicy and had zucchini and beans! I also really appreciated that our grills were swapped out for clean grills regularly. Overall a great experience, I do wish the table had been cleared a bit more often because it got quite crowded but overall a really fun experience and if I lived in the area I would for sure be back! read more

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