It's a great Korean bbq place that I have been coming to for a decade now. We typically get varying cuts of beef or pork and every time it is amazing. Instead of oil they use slices of butter to cook their meat and they also place kimchi and bean spouts and other vegetables on the grill itself so you can get a mouthful different flavors along with your meat. With the vegetables being on the grill the fat from the meat and butter trickles down to the vegetables so it's very delicious. They also offer typical soups and stews on their menu. This bbq place isn't too crowded and the service is always solid as I never have to cook myself. Also the location is excellent as it is directly off the 5 freeway with tons of parking in the plaza. The only con against this bbq spot is the price being relatively high as it's not all you can eat and the cuts are typically expensive. If you can justify the price I recommend trying it out! read more

Honey Pig BBQ - Front - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Not what it used to be. The service is still good, but the food is changing. They must have a new chef. Everything marinated/seasoned tastes worse. It's a shame. read more

This place is THE BEST Korean BBQ in Irvine (if not all of Orange County). The pork belly and beef brisket are my favorite. And to wrap it all up with fried rice on the grill never misses. The service is fast, quick and efficient. I never had to wait a long time to get any side dishes refilled. I bring family, friends, co-workers. Great for all occassions. read more

We came here as a party of six, and my Korean girlfriend treated us to dinner, we had an amazing time from start to finish. She thoughtfully curated the menu so there was something for everyone, and every dish was excellent. The restaurant was packed, yet the service remained attentive and smooth throughout the night. Every staff member we interacted with was friendly, welcoming, and genuinely helpful, which made the experience even better. The energy was lively and fun, exactly what you want at Korean BBQ. The highlight of the night was how they ended the meal with the kimchi fried rice. OMG it was sooo delicious and the perfect way to wrap everything up. We'll absolutely be coming back to this Irvine location again. read more

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The food here is incredible , definitely hits the spot every time. Having come from the Buena Park location, I actually prefer the Irvine spot a bit more. A nice perk is that the staff grill the meat right at your table. However, the service fell a bit short during our visit, the staff wasn't very attentive, so we had to flag them down a couple of times. Great food overall, just wish the service was a little more on top of things! read more

Honey Pig BBQ - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

This place gets busy! Luckily we were able to call ahead and get a reservation for 4. Their servings are big and their banchan is delicious. This restaurant is ideal for at least 3 people in a group. 4 would be best. The meats were yummy, enjoyed the black pork belly. I also loved that their salt is coarse, it just elevates it a little more when you dip it with sesame oil. read more

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Different than others places. Plenty of food and leftovers. The server helped us the whole time.

There is another Honey Pig BBQ location in Buena Park but I think the Irvine location in Cypress Village plaza is probably the best one for its quality, service, and the portions. Something that irks me about the other location is that despite both places being similarly priced, I can clearly see Buena Park's location gives way less and lower quality meat and fried rice whereas the Irvine one is so much more generous and does a good job giving good fried rice. I have come here more than 20 times in a span of a year and I think that says it all. read more

Lately I've been really loving Korean BBQ spots where they cook for you, including this spot! Went here for dinner on a weekend and it was busy and lively inside, but there was barely a wait! They first start you off here with a bunch of sides on the grill, including plenty of kimchi, bean sprouts, tofu, potato, and corn cheese. For the table, we got the Prime Black Pork Belly, Thin Sliced Beef Belly, and the Bulgogi. My favorite was the beef belly, it was really thin, and had a good meat to fat ratio so it melted in my mouth! The pork was just okay for me, not the juiciest that I've had. Bulgogi is a classic, no complaints here! At the end of the meal, I love that they make fried rice on the grill with all the leftover meats and sides! Nothing went to waste, we were full but the end of the meal, and had lots of leftovers to bring home. read more

Honey Pig BBQ - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Been checking out more non-AYCE Korean BBQ restaurants lately (just can't eat as much as usual to make AYCE worth it ) and Honey Pig did not disappoint! The meats can be a little pricey ($30-$45 per entree) but it comes with pretty much unlimited amounts of veggies since they'll start the grill with huge piles of kimchi, bean sprouts, onions, some tofu and also a corn cheese. Between the 4 of us at the table, we ordered 2-3 meats (pork belly, beef bulgolgi, and one more I forget) and also got a steamed egg and galbi tang (soup entree) on the side. They cook all the meats for you, and our server was pretty good with timing our grill so they can tend to multiple tables at once. The meats can get a little oily/fatty though (that's what the drainage spout is for) but the banchan & kimchi/bean sprouts help cut through some of the oil. Best of all, they finish with fried rice with the remaining food so there's plenty of leftovers to take home! read more

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I use to go to the one in Los Angeles when there was a location there many years ago. I was excited to see there was one by me and decided to check it out. The concept is about the same where they have a variety of pork meats as they grill kimchi, bean sprouts, and now with corn cheese and some veggies. The menu is definitely smaller and less beef and combos. And they make kimchi fried rice at the end. The service is still great. The atmosphere is the same. All in all, it's great. read more

Honey Pig BBQ - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

I came here with a couple of friends on a Tuesday afternoon around 1:30PM and we were seated almost immediately because the restaurant wasn't too busy at the time. There were plenty of tables and seats. We ended up ordering a ribeye, pork belly, and brisket. It was pretty cool because the sides that are usually on the table were being grilled on the circular grill. They also did the grilling for us, which was nice! After we finished skating, we were able to get the leftovers on our grill turned into a fried rice-- super yummy! read more

Establishment is busy, clean and fragrant. Staff was professional and courteous. This is a 'cooked for you' kbbq. The servers are very busy, flitting from table to table. We ordered the #1 thin sliced beef belly (wagyu), #2 marinated bone-in short rib (this is already cooked), #12 beef tongue (non-marinated), and #15 signature black pork belly (Berkshire). Service is extremely fast with food on the grill very quickly after ordering. The grilled sweet potato is especially good, ask for some extra. All of the meats are very good, with decent portions for the price. After, they cook a fried rice to finish out the meal. There is a minimum of two meats regardless of party size, so it would probably be best to come with a group of 3 or more. TLDR: Excellent service, good food, great establishment, okay value. Would recommend! read more

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Not sure why this place has so many negative reviews--our experience was great! Honey Pig feels like an authentic Korean BBQ spot, from the atmosphere to the fast-paced service. Everyone is speaking Korean, and the staff doesn't have time to walk you through how it works, but that just adds to the immersive experience. You have to order a minimum of two meats, with the cheapest option starting at $40. We got the beef belly, which was delicious. It comes with a variety of sides, and the kimchi is especially good. One of the best parts is how all the fat from the meat drips down and cooks the veggies, adding so much flavor. At the end of your meal, they take whatever's left and make a huge fried rice right on the grill, which you can take home. The total came out to around $100 after tax and tip, which is reasonable for the amount of food you get. Definitely a spot worth trying if you're looking for a great spot that is not AYCE but will leave you very full! read more

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This is one of my Korean friend's FAVORITE places to go. I hadn't been there in years, but I remember having an amazing meal there with them before. This time we took our teenaged daughter and her boyfriend. Let's just say, it wasn't the right move for them, but we still had a blast. The meats are so high quality. The atmosphere really takes you to Asia. You're feasting off of a huge hot plate, and unlike other KBBQ places, they tend to the food helping you cook it. If you don't like kimchi, make sure to say so! It ends up becoming the main flavor of the fried rice at the end. I think they could do a tad better on overall service and helping explain the experience to newcomers (or whities like us lol) but in all, we had a great time and would recommend. read more

Not the friendliest service, or welcoming. I would never eat here. I see the reviews are not that good either. It's expensive to eat out. I like to go where I'm welcomed. read more

Still my favorite Korean BBQ spot! The pork belly with kimchi and bean sprouts is always amazing, and the staff are super friendly. The lunch menu is great, too. I'd definitely love to go back! read more

Honey Pig BBQ - Pork belly - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

This is a fun experience but not really worth it in terms of taste or quality. I will say that our party did get full off of what we got but the meat is too expensive for the quantity/quality (in our opinion). Wait was estimated to be around an hour but I think it ended up being 30-45 minutes. Service is interesting because servers don't notice when you need more refills of any sides or of water. So you will need to flag down a waiter every time and they might forget the request a few times. Seating is also a little squished if you have bigger than a 4 person party because I was basically touching the table next to us and felt the oil splatter on the back of my neck lol. Overall we wouldn't come back but this is a convenient location for us. read more

Honey Pig BBQ - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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The kbbq experience here at Honey Pig is slightly different than most others. They start with a lot of kimchi, slices of potatoes, tofu slices, and bean sprout kimchi on the grill. You order your food and they'll bring you rice paper, dipping sauce, and salt. They do cook the food for you, which these days I enjoy so I can continue the conversation with friends since at other places, I'm usually in charge of the grill. So that part of the service I like. The downside is that to get anything else, their service is spotty. I feel like I'm having to flag the server down for more water, more napkins, more rice paper, my ticket, Togo containers, etc. A cool part of the meal is they make whatever is left on the grill into fried rice. Which we were pretty full by then so we packed it home. Overall I think I would come back.! read more

I really like this kind of Korean BBQ that you can enjoy on top of giant iron lid with Kimchi and bean sprouts. The meat was good, but the corn cheese was too sweet to my taste. The complimentary egg in a hot pot was good but kind of burned. The server was attentive and did most of the cooking at the table. The restaurant is a decent size, and it seemed pretty new. I like that there is plenty of parking there. You can always ask for more of the side dishes you need like the rice wrap and the radish wrap. After you're done with all the meat, they will make the fried rice for you. I really enjoyed the fried rice together with a cabbage soup they provided. My family went on a Tuesday night, and it wasn't crowded at all. We were expecting a clear broth radish Kimchi noodles, but they were actually red and salty to our taste. Overall, my family of four enjoyed our dinner there. read more

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Great kbbq spot in OC. Wide selection of meat with multiple beef selections, several pork selections, duck. We decided to go with the thinly sliced beef belly and the black pork belly. Both were excellent choices and the meat was delicious. The meat barbecue also includes plenty of KIMCHEE and seasoned bean sprouts that are cooked with the meat on the grill. These vegetables complemented the meat perfectly. Of course the barbecue comes with an egg soufflé, and sliced pickled radish and rice cake sheet used to wrap the meat and serve. We did also order cold noodles, of course, with any Korean barbecue. You do get the choice of ordering a small cold noodle dish versus a regular size cold noodle dish. Overall, we felt this place was a good Korean barbecue spot in Orange County. Would definitely go back again. read more

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Its been awhile since i last ate at Honey Pig. With so many options around these days its hard to differentiate between one place or another. I guess for me, Honey Pig just doesn't hit like it used to anymore. I think for me its a combination of things. 1. Price- if your just a table of 2 and the requirement is to order 2 servings of meat, your bill is going to end up being at least $100, now thats fine if your with a group of 3 or 4 but for 2 people, there are other places i rather go to. 2. Banchan- ultimately its very limited with just seasoned bean sprouts and kimchi on the grill. Also the corn cheese isnt that flavorful or sweet, im usually the type of person who likes variety in my banchan. Overall, i think service is great and quality of meat is good too but at $50 a person i could go elsewhere for a more satisfying meal. read more

We visited Honey Pig Korean BBQ for dinner, and it was another great experience. The staff are always friendly and welcoming. Today we ordered salchi-sal (premium chuck flap), beef belly, and mul naengmyeon (cold noodles). One of the highlights here is their large cast-iron lid grill, where they cook bean sprouts and kimchi together with the meat,it adds so much flavor. Of course, we couldn't skip the fried rice for dessert! Everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. The staff were extremely professional and attentive, which made the experience even better. If you're looking for authentic Korean BBQ in Irvine, I highly recommend Honey Pig Korean BBQ. We enjoyed our meal and will definitely be back! read more

I def won't be able to go to AYCE after this.. 3 of us shared 2 servings of pork belly and we left so stuffed.. the meat come with so many sides That fried rice finale is the bomb!!! But make sure to ask for it. The service was also great which is always a bonus. read more

Honey Pig BBQ - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

We've been a few times now and I'd say definitely warrants more than 3.3 stars. I could see maybe the staffing could knock it down a little because when it gets busy there, it gets busy and you might not see a server for a bit to help cook the food but other than that, the food quality is on point. The brisket and pork belly are great options. We did a boneless short rib recently and it wasn't quite what we were expecting but still tasty. They do kimchi fried rice at the end with whatever is leftover on your grill so make sure to leave some space in the stomach for that. Overall, would recommend and we'll probably keep coming back. Just make sure to plan around the crowds. read more

Honey Pig is always a really fun experience. I love bringing friends here, who've never been, and everyone loves it. The service is plentiful and attentive. The environment is upbeat and bustling. And the food is delicious, and we always go home with SO much leftovers! read more

Honey Pig BBQ - Shrimp, bibim naengmyun - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

amazing! amazing! amazing! ohboy my boyfriend and i enjoyed this kbbq spot so much. he said it reminds him of a true kbbq experience he'd have in korea. we got one order of brisket and pork belly, an additional cold noodle, and steamed egg. they are so generous with the side dishes and cook the meats for you! for two people we had more than enough. don't forget to ask for the fried rice of the leftovers at the end of your meal:) read more

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This is still our go-to place for pork belly BBQ. The meat is great but what really sets honey pig apart is the bean sprouts and kimchi on the grill -- it's fantastic. And make sure to leave a little bit of room for the fried rice at the end read more

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Been to Honey Pig a few years back. I had my family with me, and we were in town and hungry. The Sushi place next door had a 2-hour wait. So the two adults and 2 boys, 10 and 11, ended up at Honey Pig. I was shocked at the price. We ordered two orders of the chadol meat among others. The 2 portions of the order, totaling around $80.00, were insanely small. I should have, at that point, just gone to the Korean market and bought their prime chadol and just cooked it on my grill at home. With 4 people, the bill was about 270.00, and that's 2 adults and 2 kids. I won't go back there. The meat quality doesn't justify the price nor the portion size. read more

This place is clean and spacious. The chicken is awesome and authentic in taste! The service is great.

Iykyk! This joint is where Koreans go to get their samgyupsal fix. If you want pork belly, you go here. They have different cuts, and also different meats (including intestines--if that's your thing). The meat quality is top notch, it's not AYCE, but you won't regret it. The servers are always so nice and attentive when we come! They do a lot of the grilling and cutting for you. At the end you can get rice mixed in with all the lil fixins and meat you have left over and it's the perfect way to end your meal. read more

Honey Pig BBQ - Fried rice made with all your meat and sides at the end! - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

This is my go-to KBBQ place! Can't beat the fried at the end with all the meat drippings!! I was craving this the other day, but didn't want to smell like KBBQ. Decided to order from DoorDash and was pleasantly surprised! The pork belly was nice and crispy and all the accoutrements were pretty impressive! Just wish that the kimchi fried rice had more depth in the flavor with some meat drippings... just like what you get at the end! read more

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Been a regular growing up as a elementary kid with parents in 2000s. Now that Im older I still love this place- better than Irvine HP BBQ mainly because there are no additional fees for sides which should be complimentary in most korean restaurants. The servers are top notch and try their best to provide best meat for customers to consume. They do grill the meat for us so dont touch the meat to get it grilled best. I felt that it was nice how large parties are sat in one side for noise, while smaller parties 2-4 is sat other side. It can get smoky during rush but they have nice AC to make up for it read more

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I have been wanting to try this place out for a while now and it was definitely a hit but also a miss. The bench seating was very nice. However, my boyfriend found those like foam chair stoppers in his cup It really wasn't a big deal but it there is off. We saw that they cook for you however, I think that because they were busy or something they didn't really have the full attention and time for us. We were cooking for ourselves most of the time. The menu is extensive and there's a lot to choose from. We went with the Pork Belly, Brisket, Marinated Short Rib, and Angus Steak (#10) . All of the cuts were really good but my personal favorite was the pork belly! With the samjang and garlic, chefs kiss! I would come here again regardless but the prices are definitely ‍ read more

Honey Pig BBQ - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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Honey Pig offers a great KBBQ experience in the Irvine area, deserving of its high rating. We arrived at 7PM and managed to get the last table in the back of the restaurant, but it was packed all night. The food quality was excellent. The kimchi and bean sprouts grilled on top of the traditional pot lid was a nice touch, and the fried rice at the end was fabulous. We ordered samgyupsal (pork belly) and hangjungsal (pork jowl), and they accommodated our request perfectly. Portions are medium-sized, so consider ordering a bit more. This spot isn't AYCE, so you order à la carte, which can add up. While the food quality is great and the vegetable variety is nice, the service can be hit-or-miss. We had a server at the very beginning of the meal who seemed miserable to be there but fortunately, she was at the end of our shift and we were staffed with an amazing waiter soon afterwards. The ambiance is lively but the restaurant is quite narrow, making it easy to bump into patrons at neighboring tables. Located in a plaza with ample parking, it's convenient to get to, but be prepared for a bustling environment. read more

Honey Pig BBQ - Bean sprouts, kimchi, samgyupsal on a pot lid grill - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

We had dinner here last night for an early Father's Day celebration. I had been here a couple of times before. Dinner was great. Casual setting for a Korean BBQ restaurant, and the service was very good. A bit different than other Korean BBQ restaurants. The cooking surface is a big cast iron "lid" and they start you off by putting some kimchi and bean sprouts on the cooking surface to get you started. We had a variety of meats: Brisket - 4/5: Good flavor, maybe a bit tougher than the best versions of this. I will say that vs. other restaurants the price for brisket (vs. the other meats they have) was a bit high. Short-Rib - 4.5/5: The most marbled meat they offer on their menu. Very good. Duck - 4/5: You don't see this very often on Korean BBQ menus so decided to give it a try. If you like duck, definitely try it. Tasted a bit like ham or even a pastrami. Pork Belly (Berkshire) - 5/5: As the name of the restaurant implies, they were originally known for their pork meats. This is their signature meat and it did not disappoint. Octopus - 5/5: Again, something you don't see often at Korean BBQ restaurants. Pretty generous portion, was more tender than expected and good flavor. After you're done with your meats, they'll make a stir fried rice for you right in front of you with the grilled kimchi and soy beans adding to the flavor. Definitely a treat to wrap up the meal. Overall, really enjoyed our meal and would definitely go back. read more

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The five star rating is well deserved. When we arrived at 6PM we were lucky enough to get seated at the last remaining table. Through the rest of the night, the restaurant was packed. Service was not any slower as any of the 3 waitstaff moving around came by to check on our food too cook and cut the meats. Food quality was great with the kimchi and bean sprouts heated on the grill the whole time. There was plenty of vegetables and the final fried rice was fabulous. We ordered two servings of the pork belly and asked them to have more meat than fat. The kitchen listened and served as requested. read more

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I meant to give two stars but raised it to four, and here's why. On a busy Sunday night around 6pm, my friends and I (a party of 7) went to dine at Honey Pig. We were lucky that there was only one group ahead of us, and the younger server told us it would be about a 10-minute wait. The group ahead of us got seated, and we saw two side-by-side tables that were clearing out, so we assumed those would be ours. However, an older server (possibly a manager?) kept skipping us each time as he seated other guests. After about 45 minutes, I went in to ask what was going on. The older server said he was planning to seat us at a corner table by the entrance. I politely mentioned that it looked a bit small for our group and asked if we could be seated at one of the two tables we had seen earlier. He assured me the table could seat up to 8 people and that we'd be seated there once the current diners left. We waited another 15 minutes, then I approached him again, expressing that we didn't mind sitting separately and that it would've been nice if he had asked us ahead of time on how we prefer to be seated. At this point, the server mentioned his 15+ years of experience in the industry, but upon sensing my unseased tone, he quickly apologized for not asking earlier. I told him to seat us at whichever table became available first since we had already waited over an hour. When the larger table finally opened up, he seated a group of 5 before us and then gave us two separate tables. This was frustrating, but we were hungry, so we tried to move past it. The food, however, was excellent. I was a bit frustrated at first, but after eating the pork belly, I felt a lot better. As I was taking photos for my review, the restaurant surprised us with two complimentary dishes: corn cheese and octopus (nak-ji). While I initially wanted to give only two stars due to the seating issues, the attentive service from the remaining servers and the great food, along with the complimentary dishes, won me over. So, as a thank you for the freebie, I'm giving them four stars. But please, next time, do ask your guest first if they wouldn't mind seating separately (especially if it's a large group) prior to seating other people. read more

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If you come here, make sure to get all the specialty pork. We made the mistake of ordering some beef belly, which we regretted as soon as we tried their pork--it's so much better. Try to skip the beef and focus mainly on pork. They also give you free fried rice at the end, either when you finish or when you request it. I recommend saving some meat for the end and asking them to make the fried rice then, since it's much better with meat than eating it plain, which is just a bunch of carbs. The only thing I don't like about this restaurant is that the flavors lack sweetness--most of the side dishes are already salty, and the dipping sauce is salty too. If they had a sweet soy sauce like some other restaurants, it would help balance out the flavors. Otherwise, this place is still really good, and I highly recommend it. read more

Honey Pig BBQ - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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This korean bbq spot is a pretty good al la carte place. This is not AYCE so don't go expecting that. I also want to mention that the workers here seem like they hate working there and express that openly. So the service here for me during this trip was not good. This place also doesn't offer combos so the bill does tend to rack up to be a lot of money since you order by the dish. I got their beef tongue, pork belly, beef belly, marinated short rib and had kimchi stew with a seafood pancake. The beef tongue was nice and tender but the other meats were okay. They didn't taste amazing but they didn't taste bad. The seafood pancake was also okay, not much flavor. At the end of the meal, they mix everything on your grill with rice to make fried rice. Personally, it seems weird to eat it from a slanted grill but I appreciate the grill setup. I don't think I will be going here if there's a baekjeong in the same area. Personally, I think baekjeong just has better service and also provides combos whereas this place doesn't. read more

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