Dongbu is such an excellent addition to Escondido. Not only was the staff ultra friendly and attentive, but the AYCE menu is extensive! Every item we ordered was fresh, flavorful, and phenomenal. The fish friend really adds to the ambiance, too. Highly recommend! I'll definitely be back. read more

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Came here since we were craving from KBBQ that would be nearby. Very happy we tried this location! Service was fantastic. Although they only have a select amount of tables open, they have a good ebb and flow here and they constantly keep up with water refills, meat orders, grill changes, etc. We love AYCE options and ordered a lot of meat and a few sides. All of the sides were delicious but what stood out was the meat! I absolutely loved the beef bulgolgi and galbi (short rib). The marinades on these were stellar. The spicy chicken bulgolgi was another top contender along with the beef brisket. We did have the spicy beef bulgolgi as well but could barely notice a spicy flavor. We loved the marinade on the beef bulgolgi more. Would absolutely come back as we had fantastic service, meat, and sides/apps. Excited to try more options in the future! Prices are pretty standard for AYCE, but you could also order combo plates instead. Love that they have both options. read more

Dongbu Korean BBQ - Food menu side - Korean Near Me - Escondido, California

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Tried the semi-new KBBQ spot in town, and it was a hit! We went early evening on a Friday, which was nice with quick seating and service. Server was very nice, unfortunately I didn't catch him name but he was cranking out the drinks so he was A-OK in my book! Food was for the most part really great! Of course we went for the three meat combo (gotta try them all!), and since those combos are not all you can eat, you can take home what you don't consume. All the meats we got were SUPER tasty! Marinades were on point, texture, flavor, they checked all the boxes. We choose to get the beef and radish soup with our combos, which was slightly underwhelming. It was definitely on the sweet side, which I generally tend to lean into my savory/salty soups more. For the bachan (side dishes) that served with the meals, we also were not huge fans of the kimchi. We're a little bit Kimchi snobs though with the experience we have with Kimchi, but I think they could reevaluate their brand they use. Rice was rice but also cooked very well! We eat got the sake bombs, which are honestly fantastic deals and would be one of the top reasons for my return. Large Sapporo & a small sake for $13, down and done! All in all, we will absolutely be back, and look forward to supporting this local favorite! read more

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Came in Saturday evening for dinner. A very delightful dinner after a day trip at the safari Park. All staff were welcoming and friendly. Fast service. All the food was delicious and fresh. My favorite was the heartbreaker. It's a must try if you're around! Bonus ( they have a Tesla charging station ) read more

Dongbu Korean BBQ - The Heartbreaker - Korean Near Me - Escondido, California

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Amazing hidden spot! Will be coming back time and time again. So cheap and many options AYCE with no wait lines.

This place is a good value KBQ. They don't force you to pay $30-$40 for all you can eat. You can buy all you can eat for $30 with a 2 hour limit or you can buy preset quantity meals, 1 item for $14.95, 2 items for $17.95, 3 items for $19.95. As a grand opening deal, when you buy two meals, you will get a free meal the next time you come. Amazing! We both got the 3 item combo meals. Honestly, it was too much food for me and I will get 2 items next time, as I am on a diet and have been losing weight for 8 months. 3 items for my fiance was just right but he was really full cuz he helped me with my food. We ordered the rib eye, short rib, garlic pepper shrimp, Korean spicy shrimp, spicy pork bulgogi, spicy chicken. Rib eye 9/10 Short rib 6/10 kind of fatty Garlic pepper shrimp 9/10 Korean spicy shrimp 9/10 Spicy pork bulgogi 10/10 Spicy chicken 9/10 Our meal came with banchan, white rice and soup. The radish soup was so freaking good! The beer is $19 a pitcher, which comes out to less than $5 a mug, great deal. Soju is $12, which is good price since places charge $11-14. We came on Saturday night around 7:15, and there was no wait. They have tables for parties of 2-8. Limited number of tables for 6-8 persons. There is plenty of parking. read more

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Was excited to try this place because there isn't any Korean bbq in Escondido. And I ordered a Combo #3 instead of doing all you can eat. Got the beef brisket, beef finger meat and premium pork belly. I'll be honest, the meats were low quality.. the pork belly was cut too thin to be called premium. The finger meats were covred in a sweet sauce that was too sweet and made the grill burn up. Side of rice was over cooked. And the bonchon, or sides, were super limited compared to other kbbq places. The combo also came with a soup that was cold and looked thrown together, I was sick and excited for the soup so that was a bummer. The server was very nice and sat me quickly. I asked for a side of ssamjang and she brought a small amount so I asked for another one. But it wasn't needed because the ssamjang was way too pasty, lacked salty and was pretty spicy. The restaurant was nice inside but it was a hot day and there was no AC on in the place so the restaurant smelled like mop water when I walked in, but I pushed passed it because I really wanted to try this place. I hate to give a bad review but there is better kbbq out there in terms of getting quality meats for your money and with prices being so high for food these days, I think it's important to get good quality foods when you're out. read more

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Come here with a friend the first week of January 2025 for some all-you-can-eat (AYCE) Korean BBQ. Their meat selection is pretty fatty, which I love! However, many people may not like that. Even their finger meat is fatty, which is not the usual at most places. The sides are really good here, I enjoyed the Monkey Balls, Heartbreaker, and (Spicy?) Fried Chicken. The soup was some kind of ground pork? with white radish in veggie broth? I didn't like it, but someone like my mom would love it. The thinly sliced pork belly is excellent if you like bacon. The service is good. Not bad, but not great. The space is good for the amount of people they get. I have never since this place packed out, but I only came here twice during my lunch hours. You also have the option of not doing all-you-can-eat. Instead, get 2 or 3 item combos with rice and soup. AYCE: $30 2-3 item combo: $17-20 read more

Values money instead of customers. Due to a long wait, they gave my mom a gift certificate valid until 12/24/27 for one "Combo 3." I brought it to redeem in October 2025. Before reading it, the staff immediately said "That is too old, it's expired!" He seemed annoyed, and upon seeing the date, he claimed it's supposed to say 2025 (which would not make it expired anyway). He took my order, was even more unkind when I asked a question about the menu, and CHARGED ME THE TAX which felt unnecessary. Several minutes after taking my order, he came back with no food and decided not to honor the certificate. He said he will refund the tax. Instead of doing that right away, he unnecessarily prolonged the interaction by continuing to show me the certificate, pointing and claiming it should have "expired in 2024" and "is not his handwriting." He eventually processed the refund and I left with no food. Plus, their restroom was closed, which made the environment even less welcoming. read more

I really wanted to like this place, today we went there for my sons bday and it was a huge disappointment. The meat is very very low quality and not fresh and chewy. That's too bad really wanted a good kbbq near Escondido. Won't be going back. Later during the day after my initial review my whole family had stomach issues from eating here, definitely not fresh and won't be coming back. read more

i'm so sad they sold to a pho place . just came in to eat some bomb korean bbq!!!! where did u guys go!!! read more

Dongbu Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Escondido, California

New kbbq spot in escondido!! FINALLY!! Greeted by Danny, he was sooo awesome and he's the one who recommended us trying the combo #3 - you can pick 3 different meats, comes with banchan, rice AND salad for $19, so my husband and I ordered 2 of them!! IT WAS THE PERFECT serving size for us too! We were super full from it, and didn't have to worry about being charged leftovers lol That's what was the best part, danny did not try to upcharge us into getting the AYCE, aaand you can still try the different types of meat! He was super patient while we were trying to figure out what to eat still. He always checked in with us and made sure we got our extra sauces to try, and kimchi refilled right when we finished our servings. The meat was DELICIOUS!!! I ordered the short ribs, brisket, garlic shrimp (THE BESTTT flavor shrimp I've had in my life) Prime rib, beef brisket, teriyaki beef. marination was SOOOO good, I didn't even need to add extra sauce ontop. And the quality of meat was great, it was tender and easy to eat. Thank you so much for allowing us to experience this place, and thank you Danny being the best server! read more

Dongbu Korean BBQ - banchan!! - Korean Near Me - Escondido, California

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Absolutely stellar service and meat! Finally an AYCE Korean BBQ spot in Escondido at a good price 29 dollars all day, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Meat quality was good and the sauces, service, drinks, and selection from the menu was great. If you ever had to travel to Mira Mesa or just San Marcos for Korean BBQ living in Escondido, you no longer have to. It's got everything we wanted without the loud club vibe of GEN or the crowded parkig lot of Manna. They just opened up this year, and is definitely worth a try and a place to come back to in the area. read more

Dongbu Korean BBQ - pork belly and corn cheese on the grill from top to bottom we have the brisket, beef rib finger meat, and beef tongue - Korean Near Me - Escondido, California

10/10 Neighborhood, comfort food kkbBq gem!! Must go! Also BOGO deal rn. My boyfriend and I just went by for ayce for the 2nd time and we're blown away. The quality of the meats and the sides was phenomenal! Also, the service was so fast! The waiter was attentive and the food came out fresh. I LOVE the portion sizing, they run a bit on the smaller side which is great for trying everything or even tripling up on an order. Plus you can order exactly what you want without wasting food or having to eat loads of something you hate. Get the Heartbreaker (spicy), corn cheese (1 per person or more, my fav), finger meat and brisket (my boyfs fav). The parking lot is massive and so convenient and the grill fans were really nice. The vibe is casual and relaxed and all the food feels like it's homemade with love. read more

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Food was very good. Staff friendly and efficient. Price more than reasonable. We will be back soon. read more

Dongbu Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Escondido, California

Not the biggest fan of this one, but then again there isn't much to compare it to in Escondido or North County in general. The meats were just fine, the side dishes were not impressive - my friend said the kimchi tasted off and the other two offerings were cucumber and radish. The bulgogi was probably my favorite; the brisket wasn't super special and the beef tongue was very chewy. The corn cheese is pretty small and basic. It seemed that only one man was working the entire time so service was a bit slow, including inputting orders and grill changes. I hope this place can grow since it is still pretty new. read more

Really is good place to come back! We went to celebrate my birthday and it was a pleasure. The customer service was really good and the food was delicious. This place was clean, quiet and not crowd like used to be in Korean BBQ places. Thank you so much for the experience. We'll come back soon. read more

Dongbu Korean BBQ - Food and beers - Korean Near Me - Escondido, California

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Tried this place with my siblings because we love kbbq and glad there's one in Esco! It wasn't the best, but not bad either, especially for being new! I think they're just still experimenting and getting the hang of it. I recommend the beef brisket (this one is fatty so it's GOOD!), and beef tongue. If you get both of these, you get your money's worth. The beef finger meat is marinated and slightly sweet (too sweet for me) . Ribeye was not great, the regular pork belly was still pretty thin. Hopefully in the future, we can see some beef belly on the menu! For sides, the kimchi and cucumber kimchi were both pretty good. I always eat the radish with my meat along with steamed rice. For the rice paper, it was not was I expecting and is different from other kbbq's, they give you the rice paper that's used for spring rolls. I would not recommend the spicy tofu soup, the house salad, or the "Heartbreaker" jalapeno side. The soup was bland, the house salad was just basic-- not like the traditional korean salad. The steamed egg was also very bland and the corn cheese was bland and the corn tasted old. The gyoza and korean fried chicken were pretty delicious and Japchae was decent. Service was a bit slow, but only two of them so I understand. Inside was clean, but also very hot and can't feel much AC. Also, each time the portion is VERY small, we had to keep ordering double orders. Each time they brought out meat, it would only be like 2 pieces for each of us. Overall, I'd come again but maybe after a few months after they tweak the menu a bit, add more and find their flow. As of now, quality of meat overall is poor and much of the banchan sides have no flavor. read more

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Overall, meh. Food You don't get all the typical sides. We only got lackluster kimchi and pickled ginger with something else. We ordered every beef item, gyoza, japchae, kimchi fried rice, and rice paper. Everything lacked flavor. The beef was not quality and high fat. Limited menu. The rice paper was the dry sheet you use when making spring rolls. Service The owner and 1 server were very nice, but very slow. They definitely need more help and a more efficient system. Price Average for kbbq, but high for the quality of meat and minimal menu. $30/person. You're better off at Manna if you want to stay local or driving to RB or Mira Mesa. Not worth coming back without a major food quality overhaul. It's so sad that Escondido is such a good restaurant desert. It's the biggest negative we've found about moving here. read more

Dongbu Korean BBQ - My rice paper softened with water and sauce - Korean Near Me - Escondido, California

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Ordered japchae to-go for lunch. Super legit and delicious. Great texture, well seasoned, not greasy but not dry, and the carrots were hand-cut. Will definitely be back for the full Kbbq experience. The restaurant was very clean and the service was great. Would love to see jigae on the menu. Especially if made with salmon heads. read more

I have been here a few times now and each time it's been GREAT! Service 10/10 Food 10/10 Parking 10/10 Vibe 10/10 read more

The meat was all around delicious the drinks were great and service was impeccable! I also loved the decoration on the wall. We got the AYCE me and my wife and everything was amazing Kimchi fried rice was to die for! As well as the different cuts of meat we got. I would 100% recommend coming I can't understand how it's empty. I really appreciate the servers we had both were extremely friendly and welcoming and helpful for our dinning experience. read more

Staff are super friendly and informative if you don't know how to do the cooking the food is perfect. Well marinated and the flavors are fantastic. The interior has a nice laid-back feeling and well lit. read more

Dongbu Korean BBQ - Spicy Beef Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Escondido, California

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A Hidden Gem in Escondido! We arrived right at 7:52 and were the first ones there--greeted and seated quickly with such warmth and professionalism. The vibe was welcoming from the start! Drinks: We kicked things off with a Sapporo and peach soju--both were delicious. The beer and mugs were ice cold, just the way they should be. A perfect start. Food: We went all in with three rounds of meat, and they even changed the grill for each round--such a nice touch. Every cut was excellent, but our favorites were: * Brisket * Thin pork belly * Drunken chicken * Short ribs Sides: Beyond the tasty banchan, we ordered japchae, kimchi fried rice, gyoza, and lettuce + pickled radish wraps. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Service: Joel was fantastic--friendly, attentive, and full of great recommendations. He really elevated the whole experience. We're super happy to finally have a place like this in Escondido. Between the price, food, and service, it's a solid 100%. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

On a mission to support more local biz, and our first time at Dongbu was a great experience! We came at a good time and just beat the dinner rush - no wait for a party of 8! Quality meats with a wide variety to choose from - even with several shrimp options. Thank you to Mr. Joel for taking care of our large party! We will be back! Tesla peeps - this gem is in the same plaza as a Supercharger too! read more

Fresh and delicious meat/sides. The menu is not overwhelming, perfect selection. Service is amazing. This is second time coming back and we'll be back for some more. We've tried many Korean bbq places and this is on top of our list! See you next time! read more

Dongbu Korean BBQ - Cool fish - Korean Near Me - Escondido, California

If you want a deal with huge servings this is the place to go! The Togo menu is honestly such a steal for the price! If your standards for meat quality is higher I would say to go somewhere else. A lot of the beef cuts were super chewy, galbi, beef brisket, beef finger meat. We were served all our alcoholic beverages before water. There's a great deal for alcohol here we did the sake bomb which came with a large Sapporo and a carafe of sake for $11 when a large Sapporo on its own is $10. Our tongs at our table were dirty. Do NOT ask for sesame oil, it seems to be water down or diluted with a different oil. Our water cups were also dirty, had to wipe stuff out of them before pouring water. The house salad was also drenched in water and then tossed in the dressing. The radish soup was super tasty! Our favorite protein was the garlic pepper shrimp. A lot of things we ordered the first round was missing and had to order again and it would go missing as well. Maybe the restaurant was short staffed that day. I would recommend this place to anyone on a budget and wants a deal. If you have higher standards I would say go to a different establishment. read more

I order their 2 item lunch special and it was tasty. The only problem was the portions was a little small. The service was great, restaurant was very clean. I'm definitely going to try their all you can eat dinner here some time very soon. read more

New All you can eat Korean BBQ in Escondido! Great grand opening deal that we got one free AYCE voucher when we both ordered AYCE and drinks. For $30 Korean BBQ, the menu offers a wide range of meat, including beef options, pork, chicken, vegetables and lots of appetizers. I am very impressed by the variety of AYCE meet options provided here! We started with beef prime rib, short rib, and beef tongue. Unfortunately, I wasn't very impressed by their short rib, which was largely fat and little meat, or the prime rib, which was cut thinly and not as fresh as the meat had areas of dark color. The beef tongue was good! Interesting that it's not served frozen like a lot of places. It's delicious! The appetizers were good as expected, but the portions are quite large! Be careful on how many items you order, because we, two people, were stated to get filled up by the first round. Same thing as their meat portions. They gave us quite a lot for each cut, so we were only able to order another round of meat, including beef finger meat, beef brisket, and Korean BBQ squid. The brisket was again disappointing and had some area that's already dark. The finger meat was marinated. The flavor was heavier and fattier. It's not bad. The squid is okay. Maybe not what I expected, but it's okay. The service was decent and friendly. Overall, I wish the meat quality could be better. For the AYCE price, it's quite impressive. We may consider trying their combo meat next time because we wouldn't eat as much. The combo let you pick 1-3 types of meat and no other appetizers options, but it's much cheaper. We look forward to returning and trying other things on their menu. read more

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Pretty good place. Was not too busy and seated right away. The ayce menu is less extensive as other places but the popular meat items are there. The meats were just as good or better than the other nearby korean bbq places. The orders came out pretty quick and several grill changes without even asking. The service was fine even though 1 server and the place started to get busy. All in all a good option to stay and eat in Escondido. Will be back. read more

I'd wish I'd known about this place sooner. The quality was surprisingly amazing. Our server was kind and so attentive. It's a cute little hole in the wall that really over delivers. We will definitely have to come back ASAP! read more

Sooo good!! We ordered so many things! The finger meat was sooo tasty just chewy. The bulgogi was delicious!! The spicy one wasn't too spicy but still good. The spicy Korean fried chicken was phenomenal!! Honestly a must try! I'll be back! read more

Dongbu Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Escondido, California

We ordered from Doordash, so maybe not the way to experience this place. I ordered a two item bowl. Which I thought would be meat over rice. To my surprise it has a little salad and Kim chee. I am not a fan of Kim Chee so did not eat that. My meats were thin sliced pork belly and "supposedly " garlic shrimp. The pork was crunchy, crispy which I did not expect. The shrimp still had the shell on it, so I had to peel it. Not a fan of this, playing with food. You lose alot of the shrimp. You could tell it had been frozen as the shrimp was mealy and fell apart. It also was not clean and had a large dirt line in it, also did not taste garlicky at all. My husband got the two item kalbi and beef. He enjoyed his, which he said had good flavor. I tasted his beef, which had a nice flavor. It was suppose to be spicey, but the sauce was on the side. I gave him a shrimp and he spit it out. For me the highlight was the stuffed jalapeño that had tuna in it, with the cream cheese. It had a little bite and a nice dipping sauce. Next time if we have an hankering for Korean and don't want to drive far, we will go in person. No shrimp for me. read more

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If you live close this is a great spot. Lowks it was not busy and got a bit worried BUT this was such a tasty spot. Price is not bad and good for a date night. Staff was on top of his game and was polite. Come by and stay for two hours omm. read more

I wanted to like this place. Nice server but low quality meat and chewy. Not worth it and I was very disappointed. The Kimchi and pickle radishes are not authentic. It tasted like spoiled side dishes with chili to mask off sour taste. I love authentic Kimchi but not this one, yuck! read more

My short rib bowl was okay but the meat was very fatty about 20% fat. My husband's "Beef Wagyu bowl" was NOT wagyu so false advertising on that furthermore it was overcooked. It tasted like flank! We ordered on DoorDash read more

Cucumber salad is watered down, kimchi was good, soy sauce was sweet (could be ponzu), rice was stale, corn cheese was literally corn+cheese (no kewpie mayo (important)), the scissors were great-where can I buy one, tongs were tiny, glass noodles were not authentic, order meat right away because it takes a while, portions small but AYCE. There's potential for a business just starting, but right now is not it. Pretty sure they heard us and turned up the volume when we talk about how music was playing but really silent. read more

Honest I was shocked to see a Korean bbq place in the middle of Escondido. The place is small, and kinda smells weird like paint. It's really quiet but then they finally started playing rap music. The meat quality sucks. The corn cheese is literally corn and cheese no mayo and super small. One of the servers doesn't even make eye contact and is ready to take your plate when you haven't even put the meat down yet. Also the cucumber salad was super water down & they don't have Ponzu sauce. Also there was no toilet seat covers in the bathroom......... read more

We found this spot intending to go to Ali baba.. I'm glad we came in the service was excellent server knew when to come ask us for our next orders. The food was good for the AYCE price and the position size was not excessive we got to try variety of meats because portions was the right amount. 8 meats with 2 salads 3 rice, 2 kimchi, 2 radishes, 1 hot sake $66 that's a deal.. I like this place better than Manna. They played good music too and not to loud I was still able to talk to my husband.. Will be back for more and will definitely recommend this place!! read more

Very clean restaurant. Our service was excellent. Food was very tasty. Must try the monkey balls. Downside is I wish they had more vegetables to grill. read more