When I come here, I swear I sometimes see a little old Korean grandma in the back, cooking everything. That's kind of awesome. Also awesome? The fact that they have a karaoke bar. That you can rent out for your friends. Wow - Pittsburgh really HAS come along! Food here is on the pricey side, but is really good. The kalbi definitely satisfies my cravings, but at 20+ is kind of a splurge. We normally get the bulgolgi when we're not feeling up to spending that much. I do miss all the little kimchi dishes - here, they serve everything up in bento boxes. So, it's not quite like what you'd expect from Korean places in either New York or San Fran, but given the paucity of Korean places in Pittsburgh, I'm not going to grumble too much. Like Dennis L., I'm not going to say I love this place, but given the circumstances, it's solid. If you're really craving the Korean BBQ experience, my understanding is that Korean Palace in Oakland is the way to go. I haven't been there in years, since I refuse to deal with the parking situation in Oakland, but hey, when you want Korean food, sometimes you just gotta suck it up. In the meantime, Green Pepper might be enough to keep you from having to go off the deep end. read more

Green Pepper is a casual Korean restaurant. That being said, the food is pretty simple but yummy, and the service is decent, but not great. The price point is just about right. This place could be compared to Oishii Bento in Oakland, not to Sushi Kim. Over all, I really liked the place. My biggest complaint about most Korean restaurants in Pittsburgh is the cheesy and shabby looking interior. Unlike most other places, this place is very neat, cute, and looks more like a cafe, not a traditional Korean restaurant. I had Dolsot Bibimbop (mixed rice in a stone bowl) and it was really great. Highly recommend it. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh. High-quality ingredients and tastes great. The staff is very friendly, and attentive to special requests. And the sofas are very comfortable. read more

First time having Korean food here in Pittsburgh and it brought me back to my roots! Loved it all! read more

Green Pepper - Karaoke Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Slightly more expensive than Korea Garden, but food is good quality. Better than some places in KTown NYC in my opinion. I recommend the Bibimbap, Spicy Hand-Made Pork & Home-Made Kimchi Dumplings in Beef Stew, and "Soon Doo Boo" Spicy Soft-Tofu Stew. The Bibimbap is huge and comes with so many components to it. My favorite thing about this place is definitely the side dishes, especially the daikon radish kimchi and potatoes. Although, now they charge for refills when they didn't when they first opened. read more

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Best Korean I've had in Pittsburgh. I don't generally trust yelp reviews on Korean food , since Korean food can be intimidating if you don't know what you're doing. This is the first place I've been in a long time that serves Mul Nang Myun (I think they call it fresh and light noodles), and it was excellent....like summer in my mouth. BF had bul-go-gi which was also good. The seafood pancakes were also perfectly done and not the least bit rubbery. Yes Korean food can be expensive but its also far more labor intensive than some other Asian foods....if orange chicken is your go-to Korean may not be for you. If you're apprehensive go for lunch. read more

We tried Green Pepper last week as our first taste of Korean food, and we were really happy with it. We had kind of been putting off trying it for awhile, as it is the restaurant to replace our beloved Sweet Basil, but I'm so glad we finally checked it out! First of all, they have a small wine list, but you can also BYOB for a $7.50 corking fee. I think this is the first Pittsburgh place we've seen that has both a wine list and a BYOB option, so we liked that. Our waitress was really helpful and informative. I had a few questions about the menu, and she was really great with taking the time to answer each one. She explained to us that the type of spice used in Korean cooking can sometimes feel spicier than it really is, because even the milder versions sometimes make you feel like your nose will run. It was nice to have a heads-up about that (and the menu also lists if items are spicy or not). We started with an order of the pork and kimchi steamed dumplings, which we really loved. These were just perfectly done all around. We each tried something different for our entrees. All of the entrees (except the stews) come with miso soup, which is basically my favorite thing right now, so I really appreciated that. Their miso is very basic, no tofu in it or anything, but super yummy. The soup was served alongside our meals, which came in a fancy TV-dinner-like plate, with the little dividers for different menu items. I got the spicy pork, which was sooo good. It was quite oniony, but the sauce was not overly heavy. With the pork, you also get kimchi (think cold holobchi stuffed cabbage in terms of flavor), cold cellophane noodles, tempura-breaded zucchini, and steamed white rice. The portions were sizeable but not huge, so I only had a little bit to take home with me. My husband got the bibim bap, which can be served vegetarian or with ground beef. He got the ground beef version, which comes in a pot with a variety of veggies and egg on top, and is served with kimchi, bean sprouts, and rice on the side. Everything was quite hot, although not too spicy, and he was really pleased with the flavor. Green Pepper doesn't offer any real desserts, but you get a cold cinammon tea with your meal in place of that. We loved the atmosphere as well, very bright and welcoming. After they close, you can apparently rent out their 'karaoke lounge' for parties (and during business hours, large groups can sit there). The prices were a little higher than other restaurants in the same area, but they put a big emphasis on the healthy components of their meals, so it's worth it. I also give them points for their super cool silverware, including metallic reusable chopsticks. The presentation of the meals was just lovely! We went on a Saturday night, and it does appear to get crowded at times. Fortunately, we had a short wait, but I would recommend going early if you stop in on the weekend. Even if you have to wait a bit, the quality of the food is well worth it! read more

Meh - somewhere between 2 and 3 stars. The two rooms are very nice: lot of space between tables, nice distribution of the tables in the rooms, pleasant, warm colors. The food is, sadly, quite bland, way too bland for the price. The spicy squids (~$14) were not very tasty, but they were very chewy: Good work out for your jaws. The sauce was fairly generic, not very spicy (2 stars). The bibim bap (~16) is perfectly eatable (that's the 3 stars), but that dish is more comfort food than anything else. Surely not worth the price. Question: why is it that Squirrel Hill does not have any high-end restaurant, but tons of mediocre (although not always horrible) places? read more

This review may be more biased than average, given that I am not a Pittsburgh native, and this visit to Green Pepper was my first and only experience of Korean food in Pittsburgh, as well as my first and thus far only experience of Pittsburgh itself; and I am a Korean who lives in the DC metro area. ~~~ My mom and I ordered the seafood kalguksoo (knife cut noodles) and kimchi stew for lunch on a weekday. The restaurant was completely empty except for us. We were given our meals in a reasonable time after ordering. We were each given ONE BANCHAN side dish of salty kimchi. In my experience, this doesn't even occur when one eats a Korean meal at home; it is UNHEARD OF in a restaurant. It made sense to serve kimchi with my noodles, all else aside, but it was ridiculous for a KIMCHI stew entree to be served with EVEN MORE KIMCHI. All of the above wasn't really outrageous..just really ridiculous & BAFFLING--these are the types of things I'd expect and have seen as "punishment food" for the losing team on Korean variety/comedy shows. I distinctly heard Korean in the kitchen, too, so I was even more confused. There really can't be a reasonable explanation for the food we were given, is the best way I can sum everything up. The kimchi stew itself was meh~ (bad, to those who know what Korean food typically tastes like). The noodles I ordered were EXTREMELY SALTY, like the broth was made from sea-water that came with the seafood. It lacked flavor otherwise. I can't remember if the kimchi stew was saltier than avg, but I think it was tolerable. Prices were a bit higher than what I would consider fair in the DC area, and certainly ridiculous, given the lack of banchan, for example. The waiter was nice and friendly and the atmosphere seemed nice. ~~~ TLDR: Nice service, but the food is literally a joke. read more

On a rainy or a depressive day, order yuk-gae-jang and your glum-ness will melt away. Seriously though. Their soups were flavored quite well. Very well. As a Korean I was pretty content with their kimchi soup and yukgaejang (it's beef with bunch of other veggies inside - try it, it's a pretty common dish in Korea). The beef flanks were tender and the soup was spicy but not overwhelmingly so and a ton of veggies to balance out the soup and beef. Also the portion is pretty sizeable. Mega full after devouring it. Also rice is good. It's the wild purple rice/white rice mixture! Their kimchi seems like it's store-bought but can't have everything. The side dishes weren't plentiful in variety but each were flavored well and refills are limitless so. read more

The food is good here. I love korean food so I go pretty often. It's a really calm and relaxing place to be in. read more

Green Pepper - Karaoke Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I had been waiting to try Green Pepper for a long time. The anticipation of spicy and savory Korean food had my mouth watering before I even stepped foot inside the doorway. I had a little cloud pop over my head with kimchi floating about and I let out an "mmm" sound. It was strangely reminiscent of Homer Simpson thinking about donuts. To start we ordered some dumplings. The mains were staple Korean dishes- Bi Bim Bap and Spicy Bulgogi. The amount of food that comes with an entree is staggering, Kimchi, greens, sprouts, potatoes...etc. My girlfriends bulgogi was quite a spectacular and had a fried egg on top! Let me tell you , everything is better with a fried egg on top. Both dishes were hearty and full of flavor. It was a bit odd to see Korean MTV juxtaposed with relatively fine dining, but hey, I have seen stranger things. Upon finishing, if you can call it that- because we were so full...we received a delicious dessert tea. And to make your host happy, never forget to say thank you in Korean- Tedahni Kamsamehdah!!!!! read more

I come here once in a while when I'm craving Korean food, especially since it's close to my apartment. A couple years ago, I would've given this place a solid 4 stars, but after my recent visits, I can only say the Kimchi Jjigae, Bibimbap, and Kimchi and Pork dumplings will make me come back. Sadly, the service here really went downhill. It's hard to order, grab a check, and have a glass of water because the wait staff barely comes to check on you. The last time I came here, I asked for a cup of water that never came, despite me asking two different waiters multiple times. Overall, I'd definitely say that the food is the best part about Green Pepper, but the service can be a huge turn-off, especially when you're hangry and just want to have a meal. read more

I had raw fish on the veggie with rice. It was above average but it is definitely over price. With $17 per portion, there was not a lot of raw fish in there. The waiter and waitress are very slow and complained about their tips. It took them about 10 to 15 mins to get us our check. I didn't feel like giving them a good tip either. I always want to try the place but we went into there on one of the Sats when they had lunch sign out. After we went in, they said that they don't have the lunch special. I feel like being cheated. Will not be back. read more

Probably the best Korean food you're going to get in Pittsburgh. This area doesn't have a huge Korean population like some coastal cities, so those of you from New York, DC, or LA should adjust your expectations accordingly. Other reviewers have noted that the food is expensive, but, to be fair, you do get a lot. You will not leave hungry. I had the spicy octopus bibimbap. They made it authentically in a cast iron bowl that sizzled pleasantly when it was brought out. The menu description did not disappoint: it was quite spicy and well-endowed with octopus. My dining companion (a self-proclaimed Koreaphile) was impressed with the more exotic menu offerings and the K-pop videos playing in the background. My only complaint was the soup that came with my meal. It was scant, lukewarm, and boring. read more

I came here several months back for dinner per the recommendation of my dining companion, who lives nearby. This was my first real experience eating Korean food, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Since I don't eat beef, the bulgogi wasn't an option for me, so I went with the spicy pork. It came in a bento box with three other side dishes (don't remember exactly what they are/not sure I could identify them due to unfamiliarity with cuisine), plus a bowl of rice. It was certainly a lot of food--more than I could eat in one sitting--but then again, I would expect as much, given the prices. While the pork was flavorful, it was a bit spicier than I would have liked. To be honest, it's difficult for me to judge the flavor of the pork, since I'm unfamiliar with the cuisine, but it was interesting and I enjoyed it, for the most part. The side dishes that came with it were hit-or-miss for me, with some being very flavorful (pickled veggies) and texturally interesting (noodle-y things), and others less so. I didn't really feel that the rice added much to the meal. The atmosphere was interesting. My dining companion explained to me that it doubles as a karaoke place after 8, hence the K-pop music videos playing on TVs as we ate. Service was fine--no problems there. Overall, an interesting experience, and I'd be willing to come back and try it again. 3.5 stars. read more

Green Pepper stands out as the only Korean restaurant in Squirrel Hill, a neighborhood that has multiple pizza places, coffee shops, Chinese eateries, and ice cream/froyo joints. I enjoyed my bi bim bap, which can either be made vegetarian or with beef (I opted for the former). The rice, egg, and other assorted finely sliced vegetables came out sizzling in a hot stone bowl, with chili paste on the side. The entree also comes with miso soup and several sides (mung bean sprouts, spicy daikon, and spicy cucumber slices the night I visited). I'd agree that the prices are rather high for Pittsburgh, but what I got was plenty of food. Nevertheless, the service is the reason for my lukewarm rating. The best way I can describe the service is that all the servers seem to have extreme tunnel vision, and only appear to focus on one table at a time. Rather than bringing food to one table and then going over to other tables to check in, the servers march right back to the kitchen. They don't appear to notice that other tables look ready to order or appear to have finished eating and want their check. We spent a long time trying to catch any server's eye for our bill (our original waitress had gone MIA) before we had to be a little obnoxious. Then we waited and waited for someone to come to take our money and make change before my dining companion got up and took our bill and cash to the manager's station. Luckily, we weren't in a rush to go anywhere post-meal, but the servers' inability to multitask still tried our patience. read more

I travel to Pittsburgh once a month for work. I am Korean so having Korean food during a work trip is a must! I have tried a few korean restaurants in Pittsburgh and I believe that green pepper is my favorite. Pros: It is clean and very nice looking Food is authentic Service is good (can be hard to find at a korean resturant :) it's the culture ha ha) Cons: It is a bit over priced but after trying other restaurants around the area, I'd rather pay the higher price. I've had the kimchi jigae and grilled mackerel . Enjoy! read more

Please** put up with slow service for great food. I am in agreement with it being expensive but it's so friking good. Everything tastes good. They have alcohol! Korean bbq! Amazing sides! The bibimbap has such a great flavor and such well prepared ingredients. I am always excited to come and eat here. And that is rare in Pittsburgh. The way that they cut the vegetables and present the meal is amazing and the sauce is just perfect. I havent had such good Korean food since Koreatown in Toronto. read more

Came here hearing that this place was finally a good Korean Restaurant around Pittsburgh! I ordered the kimchijiggae and it was really a taste of home, not quite, but better than what I can ask for at other places in terms of "koreanness". I've seen other reviews on this place and I have to agree on one thing. The price of the BBQ is low, and the price of other things are high. For example, Korean BBQ/bulgogi is about $21/$19 respectively. The kimchijiggae and bibimbap are around $13 or $15. A bit sad when I didn't get a bunch of side dishes (banchan) that you get at "real" Korean restaurants (you get only 3 with your meal) but the food was overall good. Tried my friends bibimbap and it tasted like it should, which is very good in Pittsburgh. No offense. read more

I don't know whether or not to give this a 3.5 or a 4 because of how much the food costs. I would say yes, the food is pretty solid Korean food (for the area), but coming from California where there are Korean restaurants on every block, I'd have to say Green Pepper is only slightly above average. But yes, it is still pretty solid food. My problem is that I feel like it's way overpriced and I would hesitate to go there again. Between my cousin and I, the bill came out to almost $50, which I would have to say is a bit ridiculous. I wish the prices were a bit lower because that would make me more willing to go again. However, I have to save my wallet from depleting quickly and will have to take a rain check on coming here again. read more

Highlights: Spicy pork: great flavor, tender, good sized portion Kalbi: tender, perfect amount of char, tasty marinade Shortcomings: Prices somewhat high for Pittsburgh You don't get to grill the meat yourself Only 3 banchan per entree Sloooooow service. read more

If you like overpriced, mediocre food that takes an inordinately long time to get to your table and is delivered by ill-informed wait staff with lousy attitudes, this place is one of the best. The giant TV screen playing Korean music videos was an irritating atmosphere choice. Perhaps it's good Korean food, I don't know. If people who rave about this place so much like Korean food that much, I think they should save up their money and learn to cook it themselves before patronizing this place. $44 + tip for 2 people... I could've gotten better food at a takeout place from people with less attitude. Unless money and things like customer service aren't important to you at all, don't go. read more

Good for the Korean Choice in Pittsburgh, but overall strange. Food is very expensive for the dishes, dolsot bibimbop is tasty. Every time I go, I notice that the standards have been slipping. Service is okay, not very attentive. Free sides are only served sometimes. Strange atmosphere with K-pop videos on loop on the televisions. When we went about a month ago, after we ate, my girlfriend was asked to wait upfront while i was in the restroom (presumably so they can reset the table ... even though the restaurant was mostly empty). When I came to find her, our waiter who just served us, tried to seat us again and then told me that the bathroom was for customers only. Strange that he didn't remember who he just served read more

Pretty good for Pittsburgh-- was impressed overall. BUT way overpriced considering the portions! Not to mention, they serve the banchan in boonshikjip style, so it's part of your tray of food... which is smart on their part because you can't really ask for more banchan. A shame though because the banchan was really clean and good. My tofu jaeyook was also pretty good; I'll be ordering that again the next time. I'd be more inclined to give them a 4-4.5 if they lowered the prices and allotted more banchan! (Yep, I'm a banchan whore.) read more

Food was absolutely delicious! Must have the scallion pancakes. The self-service silverware and plates concept was interesting to me at first, but proved useful, as you didnt have to wait for your server to return to get more napkins or utensils or a box. Some entrees are a tad pricey but well worth it. read more

I made a reservation an evening before, but when I came they claimed they didn't receive the reservation, so I showed them the call history but they still denied. The attitude of the servant was very arrogant, being very irresponsibly saying it's not his personal fault, and didn't positively seek for a solution for us. The worst experience I've ever get on squirrel hill. We designed this to be a birthday dinner but it was all ruined. read more

So this evening, the wife wants Korean for her birthday dinner, just some takeout, y'know, have some be-bim-bap in our own backyard while contemplating the trees to the sound of dying locusts. So the kid (age 14) and I go to The Green Pepper and I send him in with some cash and wait in the car. He comes out ten minutes later, empty handed. "Why the delay?" "The guy said this is a fake twenty dollar bill," my son told me. He tossed me the bill (it was the old kind, from the 1980s). "Really? Did he use a pen on it?" "No," said my son. "He said it was 'the fakest twenty dollar bill he ever saw' and said he didn't have a pen. Then he said 'I can't take it, it's fake. Sorry dude.' I just stared at him." "What did this jackass look like?" "Five foot four, looked like a weasel." "Not Korean?" "No. Caucasian. He also couldn't figure out what key to use in the cash register. And then said when he was handing me change from the twenty, 'you gonna give me a tip?' -- which I thought was really weird." "What a jerk. Probably thought it was fun, yanking the wires of a 14 year old." On the other hand, the food is good. Each dish a few more dollars than the other Korean place we normally go to that's closed on Sundays. And the cicadas joined together in a symphony of lust and mortality as we dined under the stars. read more

Best Korean in Pittsburgh - just a tad pricey for the food and service levels. (My guess is that they're trying to recover their capital investment with high prices, but they ignored elasticity of demand, so they pushed volume down, and, thus, the place stays relatively empty.) Our waitress was very attentive but not particularly friendly (not unfriendly, either), and we went in late. Despite closing at 10, we didn't leave until 10:15, but I had no impression that they were pushing us out like other places do around closing time. (Which I appreciated, but I also felt a little guilty.) My friend and I both had bi bim bap. Mine was the best (or close to it) that I've ever had. The ban chan (little cold side dishes) were excellent, too, but they were maybe just a little light on them. I'm usually sated with 4-5 dishes per diner, but Green Pepper only did 3 per diner. (Not a huge deal - they were very good.) Overall, I'm really divided. 4.5 stars, but I'm going to be a bit more critical given the prices. (I'll reconsider after a second visit.) read more

Good korean food has been and is still hard to come by in Pittsburgh. Green Pepper has decent, but not amazing, food. It's decent for Pittsburgh, but quite lackluster compared to the best restaurants in NY, SF, and the greater DC area. I've enjoyed the Bibimbap bowl and Spicy Bulgogi here. Generally the food is on the salty side. Their prices are not cheap, but the entrees are quite large because they come with a variety of sides that include kimchi, cold noodles, etc. I remember being impressed with their food during my first few visits but becoming progressively less enthusiastic with repeated visits. Not sure if this means the food quality is declining, or if they're inconsistent. Could also be a personal thing. I did have a really bad lunch experience here once -- I ordered a spicy chicken dish, and the quality of the chicken was pretty bad (I think there were even bits of tendon/bone in the supposedly boneless strips of meat) and the dish super salty and with an off-flavor. The environment is versatile. It's upscale enough for a nice night out but doesn't prohibit wearing jeans and a t-shirt. It's very friendly towards big groups, as they have several large tables and couch-based seating areas. They have open karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights and offer pre-arranged private karaoke parties, which I have not yet experienced, but it's the only place I know of in Pittsburgh where you can experience a sliver of classic asian-style karaoke. read more

AWESOME FOOD. I studied abroad in Asia in college, which is where I was first exposed to Korean food - and I fell in love. I was so happy when I got back and found Green Pepper. Bibimbap is AWESOME, so is the scallion pancake. It's also a cool experience - for those of you who aren't familiar with K-Pop - it's awesome and hilarious. Sometimes the service is a little slow and the prices are a tad high, but the food is so good (and you can't find it anywhere else in Pittsburgh) that I don't even care. read more

This place has a great atmosphere. It's very new, and they have a tv playing kpop videos when you come in! There are always Koreans here. Buttt, their food is rather expensive and isn't as good as other Korean places in Pittsburgh, like Korea Garden, Oshii Bento, or Golden Pig. read more

Seafood pancake, always a must. The bull-go-ghee is also awesome. Have been there several times as my cheat day meal:)

The food and service were outstanding. We will definitely return to this excellent restaurant. We liked the seafood pancake especially and entrees were fantastic. read more

I just moved to Pittsburgh and was really excited to see that there was a new Korean restaurant. I really love Korean food and have had it in many cities in the US. I was really disappointed in this place, though. The service was pretty poor, waiters had no knowledge of Korean food. I had the bibimbap which was sub-standard. Overall I was disappointed, I wish that they could step it up. I really really wish there was a good Korean restaurant in Pittsburgh but this just isn't it. read more

Very delicious！ Goof service and fresh food！ Excellent free sides before main food！ satisfied experience！ read more

Had a Sunday reservation for a party of 10 for a celebratory brunch, and they seated us in the karaoke back room. The onslaught of K-Pop music videos on the television screen behind us provided amusement throughout our meal. We were brought 5 different varieties of banchan, which included kimchi, spinach, japchae, fish cakes, and bean sprouts. They were tasty but could definitely have stood to be refilled during our meal. (They weren't, even once, which I found strange for a party as large as ours.) I ordered the soondubu, which wasn't super impressive with its included seafood (some clams, squid, and small shrimp) but was very well-seasoned and had me craving more of the spicy stew for days after I devoured the leftovers I took home. I would definitely be back to order this dish again. Most of our table ordered either the vegetable or regular bibimbap, which came in a huge dolsot bowl and was very well-received all around. The big disappointment was my partner's Pork Belly BBQ Grill, which was definitely plenty enough for two, as advertised, but the very thinly sliced pork just wasn't very flavorful and could not be saved by the various sauces and accompaniments. Definitely not the best $40 we've ever spent. We B-ed Our Own B, and the $5 corkage fee we were charged for each (super oversized) wine bottle we brought was very reasonable. Overall, we enjoyed our meal but were definitely incentivized to try other Pittsburgh Korean establishments before circling back to Green Pepper. read more

Prices are comparable and food is good. Have only eaten at the restaurant a couple of times, usually do take away. Restaurant is nice with decent service. Recommend for take away. read more

Great Korean food. I take my friends here. They started charging $2 for kimchi, but I pay it. They have some free appetizers. You'll enjoy it here. read more

Very nice food. I loved it. I was there with a couple of my Korean friends and they ordered the food. I don't remeber all the item names but they were all great. Nice enviroments with cool living room style couches around tables. The Bibim bops in the main dishes and the pancake in the appetizers is a must try in mymopinion. Especially the pancakes were conpletely different from what I had before. Not a traditional breakfast pancake at all. I gave them a 4 because I felt and also based on my Korean friends' opinion some of the items were a little too pricy. read more