Although DJK is not an AYCE Korean BBQ spot, they have really good quality meats. We ordered two different types of beef to grill and share, along with a soup on the side. This was plenty for 2 people. We loved that each table had a vent at the top to help with the smokiness of the grilling so you don't leave the restaurant smelling like meat. The servers are also so nice, checking on you and making sure the food is good. Parking lot is small but there is street parking available. read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I had such a terrible experience here. We came with 5 people total. Every round we ordered, the servers forgot something (we never got rice. We never got the last order of potato salad). Last call was also 50 minutes before closing and we had only ordered twice at this point so one server said we can order more. We did. Then another server came and said actually you can't order more than 6 meats. When we mentioned another server said we can, she said confused and harshly "Who told you?!" She left. Then she came back and made us change our order. Ah but the ending was the worst part. We hadn't fully finished cooking our meat and the server took the grill and charcoal away. It was edible but we were aiming to cook it more. Oh well. At this point I'm angry but I'm holding back. I tip 23 dollars. Ohhhh but the server stops me and says for dinner, tip should be 15, 18, or 20%..... I say okay I'll change it.. she starts to back off the statement saying it's okay but at this point you've already said it?!!!!!!!! SO I REWROTE THE TIP. Purely out of guilt. Not because I think it was justified which tip is supposed to be proportional to service. Never coming back again. Forgotten food, rushed to get out of the restaurant. Also: If you're so strict on time, just stop letting people sit down at a certain point. Instead of making them feel like they're a pest to rush out the restaurant. AND STOP ASKING FOR HIGHER TIPS read more

We came here for lunch. We were able to find a parking spot right away as we got there before noon. The parking lot is small so give yourself more time to find parking. We got a table right away. It's spacious inside. We ordered seafood tofu stew, seafood pancake, beef rib stew, cold noodles with spicy sauce, and stir fry squid. The seafood pancake fell apart easily. Cold noodles were more sweet than spicy. The rest of these dishes were ok. They are not as spicy as other Korean restaurants. Overall, it's an ok place for Korean food. read more

See all

This is the best kbbq and service I've had. All the waitress is so sweet!! They are so attentive and fast. I went on a Sunday night with a party of 4 for my birthday dinner. It was busy and there was no parking. The parking is small and about 4 businesses share the parking lot. We didn't wait for a long period and was seated quickly. The place is pretty big. The AYCE menu is huge. They have cold noodle, various soup dishes, fried food, and meat choices. They also have a ramen station which we didn't try because we got full from everything. The kalbi and bulgogi is probably one of the best I've ever had. It's so flavorful and tender. I got seafood tofu soup which is filled with various seafood and delicious. The cold noodle is also a delicious. The japchae is also very good! At the end of our meal we have a choice of chocolate, vanilla, or green tea ice cream. I got green tea and that was so good!! 100/10 would come again!! Customer service is AMAZING and delicious FOOD . read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Food is amazing. Our kids loved the experience of cooking the meat and trying all the different sides that come with it. Definitely coming back read more

Have been wanting to try this place for so long and we finally had a chance too! We walked in and didn't wait too long to be seated. They sat us in a booth and gave us menus along with water. The inside was not too busy when we got their and was nicely decorated and inviting. We ordered pork belly, beef brisket, a steamed egg and kimchi stew. The beef brisket was really good quality meat. The pork belly was also good quality and cooked very nicely. They pared well with the sauces. The steamed egg as nice and light with great subtle flavor. And the kimchi stew was very well made. Not too spicy, just perfect with our meal. Over all this is great quality korean bbq with very good service. I would definitely come back given the quality of the meats! read more

See all

Came here with a few friends. It was a Tuesday late afternoon, not busy at all when we arrived. We chose one of the combination B for the 4 of us... and it was plenty of food! The timing of how the food was served was well paced and the charcoal grill added to its authenticity. The variety of meat served were good portions and quality. The banchan complimented the meats.. I liked the dressing on the salad.. We added cold noodles to our meal at the end... I'm not the biggest fan, but that's just my personal preference. By the time we left the place had filled up. Service was efficient and attentive. Price is comparable. Parking shared with next door businesses. Definitely a place to try. read more

See all

Food is great, but the services are terrible. I order the soup in the very first round. It has never came until I asked for. It took almost two hours! They gave me a check even though all the food we ordered didn't come. I asked different sever to get my soup and noodles. She said ask my sever. When I asked her again, she said, I will order. I order these at the very first round and filled out in the order sheet. It looks like she didn't order for us even though we filled out. What is the purposes of this order sheet. She kept saying it's busy it's busy. It's not about how busy. It's about unorganized structures and don't know how to manage own tables. Also another thing I upset about is, after we paid, the server came right away to our table!!! She didn't come even we pushed the bottom at the table but she comes right away after we paid. Even though there are customers waiting outside and there are plenty of clean table. she starts cleaning up charcoals where my kids around! Super dangerous! She didn't check at all beforehand when she cleaned up charcoals. She didn't have to clean up since it's already nine'o clock! Terrible service! The owner should know this and train their team. read more

Just stopped in for lunch and the restaurant is clean and the employees are friendly. The food was fantastic and came out quickly, the sides are good! The ribs were quality meat, and just adds to the meal. Fairly reasonable for a quick lunch. read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Galbi-jjim - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Was recommended this place by an SD local and it paid off! Great service, great quality food and I loved the charcoal grills. Right next to convoy, i'd consider this a gem. Food (5/5) - This was not AYCE! We ordered the set for 5-6 and it was phenomenal, full of essentials like short rib, bulgogi, beef tongue, beef belly etc. along with tons of tasty banchan/sides, dipping sauces, and a bottle of soju! Ordered cold noodles separate and they were also great! I enjoyed the pacing of the meal, cooking the thinner meats on the grill pan and the thicker ones on wire mesh grill cooked everything perfectly. Service (5/5) - It feels like the korean aunties here treat you like family, they get everything set up so nicely and even help cook for you. Constantly checked up on us, made us laugh, great team here honestly. Didn't bother us personally but they do add an auto gratuity for mid-large size parties automatically. Ambiance (4/5) - Can get a bit smokey in here because of the charcoals. The booths are pretty comfy and felt private. Overall atmosphere was welcoming, fun, and personable! Would recommend stopping by next time you want good asian food in convoy! read more

See all

Came here for Thanksgiving, to celebrate with friends. We were sat in a kind of private room which was nice since we were a big party. There was 7 of us and we were sat immediately. 3 of us shared the combo B, which had beef brisket/short rib. The meat was really good quality. I also order a corn cheese for myself which was a lot tbh. Overall really good quality food, would come back to try more! read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I knew this place was legit when I saw a group of 20 grown Korean men leave the restaurant very very happy! Good service and felt very welcoming and homely. Hands-down the best kimchee jjigae I've had in SD, I would've ordered a second one if my stomach had allowed me! We got the combination D and that came with a lot of meat and sides. I can't recommend this enough!! read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Combination D (5-6 people) - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

My friend and I randomly ended up at DJK Korean BBQ because we were looking for a place that opened early around 11. Since it was our first time, we were a little confused about how the AYCE ordering worked at first, but you basically mark the meats and portions you want on a paper menu. The portions looked smaller than expected when they first came out, though they ended up being filling enough, and my favorite was definitely the beef belly since it tasted fresher and less frozen compared to other KBBQ spots. The sides were just okay, but the meat overall was decent. The only downside for me was the service--it felt a little inattentive throughout the meal, especially with refills and checking in for additional orders, though I can understand that we came in right at opening while they were still settling in for the day. Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, but I'd probably try another spot before coming back. read more

The best Korean bbq in SD for sure. We went Sunday late evening, didn't need a reservation and wasn't as crowded as places tend to be in the Convoy area. We ordered only 2 portions for bbq and it was more than enough, so thankful we didn't order more since it would have been too much, thin brisket and short rib. Appetizers were so delicious, fresh and decent size, including full size salad to start with. Overall loved it and can't wait to go back to try the duck. read more

See all

I love going to a good Korean bbq place that serves quality meat and grilled using charcoal. This place uses oak wood charcoal imported from Korea. We ordered bossam, brisket, and galbi. Unlike other places the bossam here has fresh oysters which is how it's traditionally eaten. It was a large portion, good to feed more than four people. Then they brought out the oak wood charcoal and we started grilling the brisket. The brisket was good but the galbi was the star of the night. It was tender and flavorful. We also had a bunch of bonchon (side vegetables) and sauces to pair with. It's been a while since I've been here and always had a good experience!! read more

See all

We wanted to try a new KBBQ place and DJK was recommended to us by a friend ! We shared the combo B and it was MORE than enough food for 3 people. They started us out with rice, salad, miso soup, radish, kimchi and other yummy starters. It was also included!! The staff cooks your food right in front of you. I am used to cooking your own food at KBBQ but this was such a treat! I will definitely be back and will tell my friends about it. read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Combo B - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here for Fathers Day w/ my hub and youngest son and his fam. Got our names on the waitlist around 6:30pm and only waited about 15 minutes. We were given a nice table in an enclosed area. Perfect cozy size for 5 of us. And nice n private. We ordered the BBQ combination dinner to serve 3-4 people, some japchae (stir fry glass noodles and bibim bap added. It was a feast! We ate till we were stuffed and then had leftovers for a couple more meals for 2 of us at home! Korean BBQ is so enjoyable as you get to do the fun work of cooking the meat on the grill right at your table. The servers get your coals and grills all set up for you. And we love all the dipping sauces and sides (banchan) from which to choose and eat with your rice and meats. There's a salt n pepper sauce, a red spicy pepper sauce and a sweet brown sauce. Also gochujang sauce. That was so good for leftovers at home! Anyway, the cool thing about having the BBQ on the table, is you can control how you want your meat exactly how you want it. And you can snag it right to your plate! It's so cool. And yummy! The staff here are all Korean. They speak enough English to serve you well and care for your needs. The prices are comparable and the ambiance is nice n inviting. It is also clean and organized. They run a tight ship keeping everything going for the whole place. When we came, every table was filled. And the customers were happy. We'll be back for more! read more

See all

Went here with a group of four and ordered AYCE. We ordered pork belly and were given only two pieces, mind you it was one strip that was cut in half. Our salad, corn cheese and our noodles that we ordered never came out. The Korean table behind us who sat 30 minutes after us got their salad, corn cheese and noodles. We never got it. Terrible service and I used to come here before they had AYCE. read more

Impromptu visit by a friend's suggestion here as we are in town for a concert at the amphitheater in Chula Vista. My five star experience here is for their regular menu service -NOT with the BBQ GRILL. We received our meal very quickly. They did not bring out our banchan until our meals arrived, i noticed. We ordered individual entree items and EVERYTHING my friend recommended was DELICIOUS!!! BEST KOREAN restaurant I've ever been to thus far in San Diego. I'm excited to return to try their bbq over the charcoal grills. Aside from Soowon in KTown/LA, DJK is my new next favorite Korean restaurant. LOVED: GALBI GIM (BEEF STEW) with rice cake- absolutely my favorite Korean dish to date!!! The way it is presented is exceptional! Arrives bubbling, steamy and hot in their stone pot. The beef, vegetables all are cooked and seasoned perfectly. It's a rich and flavorful sauce smothered over the beef and rice cakes. This dish again, is my favorite Korean dish I've ever gotten to try. Easily share as a full meal with a group of 2-4 Banchan (different from most Korean restaurants) and all delicious. The usual steamed rice, soybean/mung bean, spinach, kimchi, spicy radish, potato salad, but unique too with banchan like steamed egg, a type of brisket beef, so tender and flavorful!) Naengmyeon- very refreshing on a hot summer day -while my Korean friends said it was a typical cold noodle dish, not exceptionally different, I enjoyed it very much. THE REST OF OUR ITEMS included a mackerel fish, I believe it was fried- just expect lots of bones to pick out, beef bulgogi- delicious, a seafood tofu stew (broth didn't have much flavor to me), and another beef and seafood stew with glass noodles- another dish I enjoyed very much. I can't wait to return! !!I Already craving that galbi gim again! I included a photo of our receipt in case I forgot a dish I tried. We had a group of five and although we ordered a lot, I left feeling very content and not too full. read more

See all

DJK is my favorite go to place for very good Korean BBQ. Also the service is always very good too. The ambience is very casual and inviting. Just a heads up there are tow areas for delicious Korean food. One is the Korean BBQ and the other area is for traditional Korean dishes. read more

Food was good, but the service wasn't it. As soon as we ordered, we were ignored until it was time to pay. We weren't asked if we needed anything else and when we tried to order more food, they turned off our grill and gave us the check. I was looking forward for more dumplings and dessert :-( read more

We really tried loving this place, meat quality was decent and was greeted warmly initially. But after ordering, the korean ladies were very rude and snappy. Did not feel welcome until it was time to pay. This place would do better with a couple bus boys to streamline the service. Ladies could be trained better read more

Walking into this establishment felt like entering "auntie's home" very warm feeling... and with only ladies hosting and getting us situated. The bulgogi and brisket meats we ordered came out quickly. And host cooked it for us. We loved the banchans ( pickled veggies, kimchee, ) and bowl of salad. read more

The food is affordable, and I really appreciate that they cook using charcoal instead of butane gas--it makes a noticeable difference in flavor. This is my go-to Korean restaurant because of the consistently great food and service. The ambiance is warm and inviting, with a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere that makes dining there enjoyable. I recommend arriving a bit early or calling ahead for reservations, as it can get busy. For parking, getting there earlier gives you a better chance of parking in the business lot; otherwise, you may need to find street parking nearby. read more

Got the 4-5 person combo. Always leaving full of food and fun memories--the key is to not get full before the best meat is served (at the end!). But too late, we scarfed all the food and had to take the rest home. They change from gas to charcoal throughout the service. read more

Solid Korean bbq. The side dishes were great, you get a nice variety and quantity. The japchae was actually filled with good veggies (most places that give japchae as a side load it up with just noodles) and they even had chive pancake (although tbh it wasn't great). Spinach and bean sprouts were great. The Yang Nyum Gal Bi was really good, so so tender. We asked about the difference between the LA Gal Bi and the Yang Nyum Gal Bi, and apparently it's just the way the meat is cut, the LA is the one I'm more used to seeing where there are 3 bones in the kalbi piece (then you can cut the kalbi into thirds), while the Yang Nyum has one big bone at the end but the meat itself is bone free. The marinade in both is the same (the English description is misleading since only the Yang Nyum says "marinated short rib"). We also got the duck which I've never really seen at Korean bbq before. Not my favorite, the duck meat gets pretty dry and you have to eat it with the fat to make it juicy. The tofu stew was fine but not memorable. read more

It seems like a great authentic Korean restaurant. I would go back and revisit this place and try some of the non-traditional Korean stuff like Korean barbecue. Service is excellent and it looks like a lot of locals have been going here a long time. read more

Spicy jaeyuk and bulgogi dosirak(bento). I loved the banchans a lot. Spicy pork was okay, a bit smelled.. Beef bulgogi was good. :) Good for to go. I will come back for BBQ next time. read more

See all

Meat quality was good! Service was quick. And they had charcoal grill that was pretty unique. read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is the real deal! It was my first time at an authentic Korean restaurant and, you know, not my last! I enjoyed every dish we shared with my coworkers. Next time, I will bring my friends and family to enjoy the same experience as I did! Don't swallow your tongue when you look at my pictures read more

See all

One of the best kbbq I have had in San Diego. They are the only one I know who uses charcoal grill. We ordered many items and all were flavorful, tender and well seasoned. The prices were decent too. They also brought up many fresh bonchons to bring acidity and variety to the entire meal. They even portioned the soup nicely for our big group of 11 people. During the entire time, one of the staff was cooking for us on the side too while we cook our own meats at the grill. Really great service and variety. I'd definitely be coming back! read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

It's a fantastic restaurant. When you walk in, they will ask if you want barbeque or non-barbeque, and both are great options. The food felt very traditional, although I am not Korean so I am not qualified to say whether it actually was. The room was a bit cold so the food got cold kinda quickly after they served it, but when they served it, it was piping hot. Overall, the food was great. Some side notes, parking is really hard to find and there aren't that many servers so it can take a bit for them to make the rounds. read more

See all

Chadol was not good, but the unmarinated short rib was good. Maybe I'll come here when I have to get kbbq. read more

See all

5/5 - literally the best Korean food I've eaten in San Diego. The japchae was super flavorful, like I was really surprised how good it was. The seafood pancake was the right amount of batter and fillings. It was delicious! My sister's soup - she said it was so good and easy to eat because she didn't have to fight the meat off the bone. The yukgaejang was definitely the best I've had in San Diego. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I was after I was done eating, that's how good it was to me. The place is clean, air circulation is great. Bathroom is clean. Parking is kind of hard, but convoy is always hard. However this place has a lot of street parking. The service was excellent. They were super sweet and quick. They cut our noodles and pancake for us at the table. I couldn't say enough great things about this place, I'll definitely come back. read more

See all

Haven't been in a while. Staff was friendly and fast when it came to service. Very attentive when I was cooking my meat. read more

See all

My favorite Kbbq in San Diego hands down. One of the only, if not the only Kbbq that uses charcoal and let me tell you, it makes a huge difference. It gives the meat a smokey flavor. Good selection of meats to choose from and banchans are on point. Service is always good and they help out customers if they are having issues or if it's your first time Kbbq. If it looks like you know what you're doing, they'll usually leave you alone. You know it's legit when all the workers are Korean Ahjummas and 90% of customers are Korean. If you're looking for an off the beaten path Kbbq that's not on the main Convoy strip, check this place out! read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I come here at least once a month but this is just to say that with San Diego's rare pickings for good Korean food, I think DJK has the best spicy galbijjim. The meat is always so tender and the seasoning is perfect. It's just pricey ($50ish) but compared to woomiok I still think it's better. The galbitang is meh and tastes like ddukgook. The Ojinguh boggeum (spicy squid dish) is a 5/5. It's one of the best on their menu. Not pictured : their bossam is gigantic and a 3.7/5 but good. Their budaejjigae and haemultang are pretty good too. Mandu is good but not good enough to go out of your way. I still say this is where to get nengmyun but would also say their highlight is the spicy squid and galbijjim. Service is always sort of meh especially when we have a baby. They're not the friendliest and especially on Sundays or peak times, expect to wait to get served. Their banchans are always super yummy though. read more

See all

Solid place for a unique charcoal cooked kbb. Meatnas excellent quality. Staff where pleasant and attentive. read more

DJK Korean BBQ - Combos are pretty good - Korean Near Me - San Diego, California

Friendly service, reasonable prices, generous portions, and of course, great taste are guaranteed. The meal menu is also available for takeout. I ordered stir-fried squid to go, and I was very satisfied. The ambiance of the restaurant was cozy and nice. read more

I was watching this Korean soup Netflix show and it featured all the tradition Korean soups and saw the Yukgaejung soup and wanted to try it. I checked out some menus in San Diego and saw that DJK had some tradition soups. Yukgaejung is a hot and spicy beef soup with shredded beef and veggies. It's different from what I usually get- the soondubu, so wanted to try it. They give you so much soup! I brought half home and ate with a ramen noodle the next day. The soup had tons of flavor. It was great. I did miss the kimchi in the soup though, but at home I added some to it. My husband got the short rib soup with dried cabbage (woogugi galbitang). He said it was good, lots of cabbage. It wasn't what he expected though, I think he was thinking the clear beef broth one. The sides were great too! We came during lunch. There were plenty of seatings. read more

See all