Jumping Pigs! We decided to have a quick dinner in the nearby Korean restaurant, Jumping Spoon. Not many people really know about this place unless you live in Hercules/Pinole area. But glad it's here for convenience. I've been here a few times but just never wrote a review until now. We ordered a Spicy Pork for the main course, a side of rice and the seafood pancake. The Spicy Pork came out in a mountain size portion. We ordered Spicy pork before and as always, the flavors and tenderness were always jumping and tonight were no different. This is a must try. As for the seafood pancake, its our first time experience and wow! I thought I ordered a medium size pizza as this one came out on a huge platter. It was pre-sliced like a pizza too. The main ingredients were squid and shrimps. Unfortunately the flavor didn't jump off the plate, so it was okay. The sauce that came with it didn't help either. There is something that is missing to make it good but not sure what it is. If you like seafood, try it at your own risk. Anyway, we ended up taking half of it home. Nevertheless, we left Jumping Spoon feeling satisfy and full! read more

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The city of Hercules is far from poppin'. Activities and good eats aren't abundant. There's a few good spots far and wide, and it's just one of those towns you drive by and stop to get gas while on the road without thinking twice. You wouldn't believe there's a delicious Korean joint tucked off in a mixed commercial/residential area along the way to the bay trails! Smacked in the middle of the condos and shops, lies this Korean spot that deserves some recognition. The lady was super pleasant and attentive. Our food came out piping hot along with the yummy soju! It's a nice quiet place to grab a bite nearby busy San Pablo Ave. read more

Jumping Spoon - Strawberry soju! - Korean Near Me - Hercules, California

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Food is pretty good, it's convienent cause it's not to far from the house. the short ribs are a must get. I'd come back and try it again. the plastic cups threw me off tho read more

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In a nice/new area of Hercules, Jumping Spoon is a small restaurant that seems to be run by a husband & wife team. The wife/ waitress,Tracey was very sweet & was the only waitress. So be prepared to be kind & patient while dining here. With a family of 4, we ordered Dolsit Bibimbap (clay pot), Seafood Tofu Stew (not spicy), Bulgogi & Mackerel Bento Box. Dishes of appetizers (Ban Chan) came last for some reason. I really enjoyed the Dolsit Bibimbap for its crunchy rice pieces, the colorful array of vegetables & bulgogi with slices of seaweed & fried egg. I was a little disappointed that this dish wasn't brimming with food like I've seen at other Korean restaurants, but I guess this is the Covid protocol these days. A must have is the Bulgogi. I was hoping for a more grilled/crispy flavor only to find the meat looking like it was just heated in the oven. The flavor was mediocre, but this dish was piled high with meat. I didn't try the Seafood Tofu Stew so can't honestly give you my opinion on that dish, but it looked delicious & healthy. The last dish was the mackerel bento box. The mackerel seemed small, so it wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped. Despite the portion size of the mackerel, the fish was fresh & well seasoned. With the bento box you pretty much get most the Ban Chan dishes ( Japchae, salad, potsticker, broccoli & fish cake). The atmosphere made this a nice family adventure, but as for the food I would try other Korean restaurants with a more authentic flair. read more

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Jumping Spoon is located on the first floor of the Aventine Apartments in Hercules. The restaurant has an advantage of being the only food/ dining option in the neighborhood and apartment building. We frequent this place quite often due to its convenience. Our order: Galbi-Korean grilled ribs, Seafood Pancake, and Tteokbokki (spicy rice cake with fish cake and cabbage). When ordering this, be sure to specify your spice level, otherwise your order is typically mild and watery. I usually let the staff know I like "medium spicy" so I can still taste the flavors and the heat isn't overbearing. I always enjoy the banchan (side dishes). For to-go orders, I typically receive the banchan only when ordering an entree. When I would only order only tteokbokki, which is in the appetizer category, I would not get any banchan. Though if you dine inside, you will always receive banchan. The restaurant has a nice interior and it's a good place to take friends or family to. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is just because I've tried Korean food in other establishments that tasted a lot better. For example, the tteokbokki's flavor and texture reminds me of the instant rice cakes as opposed to something from a restaurant. read more

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the food is descent, being the only Korean restaurant around, we don't have much to compare but food is good enough that we go on a regualr basis. Service, on the other hand, is BAAAADDDD, next to non-existence. Maybe they just don't have enough dine in business to hire another wait staff. the poor lady is doing takeouts, phones, and dining room service. I can't say I blame her but still... read more

Good food and service. I visited them every week. Always food to go ! Not waiting for too long !

This place is delicious! I think the food is pretty authentic. We ordered the soy garlic chicken and it was really good. I always order the Sautéed pork belly with kimchi tofu every time I come in. Their japchae was amazing and even their salad was really good. The menu said the army stew is good for 2 people but really I think it could've fed 3-4. I love it here! read more

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We've eaten here a few times now and I'm sad to say we won't be back. On our first visit, we ordered fried chicken, steamed dumplings, and seafood tofu soup. We noticed there was only 1 server which meant service was slow.. like really slow. But, the food was decent and the bon chon was better (IMO) than Na Gu Na (AKA Kimchi House) so we let it go. The 2nd time we got takeout so I can't complain about the service, but today we went back again and not only was it slow, but they brought out the wrong soup twice! I expected something, anything to make it right since we waited even longer the usual (which is already long lol), but nothing. My partner asked to have the soup comped, but the waitress said no. The food is no longer good enough to justify bad service and a longer drive from home. read more

Not sure why I havent written a review for this spot yet! My family and I have gone here multiple times now for our Korean food fix. Our first visit was during Jan of 2023; so a whole year ago. Although it has its upsides and some downsides, it is a nice neighborhood/local spot that has decent food & is close to home. Depending on when I wouldve written this review, the rating wouldve been either 3 stars or 5 stars. Although the food and service has become more consistent, there were some visits that exceeded our expectations and others that unfortunately fell short. There were a few times when we rushed to the restaurant for dinner and left hungry & disappointed because they closed dine-in around 8-8:30, although hours & takeout are until 9pm. Our interactions with the owner/boss lady have been amicable; not much small talk due to language barriers, but she often gives us refills on some banchan (upon request) and allows us to make some changes to the protein choices for some dishes like the japchae (ie: pork instead of beef). Our fave/go-to dishes here are: -Samgye-Tang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) -Bossam (Boiled Pork wraps) -Naengmyun (Cold Noodle) -Bolgogi Tteokbokki (Rice Cakes) Our only "complaints" are that the tofu stew isnt as good as other places. Usually one of our fave Korean dishes/food, we havent ordered it here since our first visit. I don't quite remember what was unsatisfactory about it anymore, but I believe it lacked the kick of umami & flavor. Will have to try it again and update this review. We also ordered their KFC in the past (half Spicy & half Soy), but unfortunately it also fell short. We occasionally get the Seafood Pancake as well (ask for more crispy or else it will be too doughy), the Japchae (nice if youre looking for something filling/noodle texture and not spicy. However it is definitely really oily here), the beef/pork Dolsot (mainly because we always think there isnt enough food, but we forget some dishes come with rice so we end up over ordering). The bossam is perhaps the most inconsistent dish although one of our faves. There was one time in March when the dish came with Saeujeot (Shrimp paste) and it elevated & complimented the dish so well!! Otherwise, the cabbage wraps, kimchi, sauces, and even the cut, tenderness, and sizes of the pork shoulder varies with each visit. Sometimes it can be a hit or miss. One thing to also note: they dont have raw garlic with their bossam-- we've asked. It would also be nice if there were more fish varieties/options other than mackerel and more variety in Korean food like Kimbap, jajangmyeon (I know, that's more Korean-Chinese food, but a girl can dream), Kalguksu, and Korean Corn Dogs, etc. but we are content with their current menu already and appreciate having a solid place to eat in the neighborhood. The interior is also clean and nice. There are some music & tvs playing (no audio) and the decor/ambiance is great overall. Craving their food as I write this review haha, so we'll be back soon. read more

Very overpriced for the quality and quantity of food. Haven't been here in a while, but they definitely put up the prices. $15 for 5 super small pieces of chicken is kind of outrageous and the galbi is nearly $34 for just a few pieces that are super skinny. Food is only ok and not worth coming back to for the price. read more

We came by here on our way to visit family in the area. The reataurant is pretty spacious with plenty of seating. We were seated pretty quick and was able to order right away. The food was good but the portions were small for the price. I ordered the bulgogi bento box and it was a good portion and it tasted good. The wings and calamari were good but the portions were really slim. read more

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TERRIBLE SERVICE!!! It's been a few years since I last ate at Jumping Spoon, and the food was always pretty good on my last few visits. I decided to take my partner on a date there and we ordered the beef bul go gi, to share. Me and my partner both TRIED it and it wasn't up to our standard, so we asked the waitress if we could send it back to the kitchen and have it removed from our bill. It wasn't to be cheap. We had no issue paying for everything else we purchased because the other items we ordered were enjoyable. However, the waitress outright refused our request. "You order, you pay" mentality kicked in for her, despite the fact that we barely touched the dish. Then she just leaves without saying anything else. It ruined the date because now we're being forced to pay an extra $24 for a dish we obviously had no intention of eating. In the end the waitress even brought us a box for the bul go gi, as if we're gonna take that trash of a dish home. Like c'mon. As a former waiter myself, this is a 'textbook' example of how to lose customers. It's easy to speak from experience in this situation because me personally, I would've done the opposite. And just to add salt to this review, when my date and I arrived we were the first ones there. The waitress was smoking right outside the restaurant. I recommend this waitress bring deodorant or perfume so they don't smell like cigarettes next time they serve customers. It was disgusting having to smell that every time she approached us. Buy a vape or leave the nicotine addiction at home! Will never be coming back, and I hope Mr. Kim has a meeting with his staff on how to better treat his future customers. Hope this review helps! read more

5 star service delicious food. Pretty picky about my Korean food and never had a bad order from this place. Great location for locals. Friendly employees what more can you ask for. read more

I went there for lunch yesterday, wasn't crowded, I had the Prime Rib lunch box and it was very good, very filling, the service was great ! My friend had this and she said it was very good also ! read more

Jumping Spoon - Korean Near Me - Hercules, California

I was in the area, and decided to try Jumping Spoon. It is located on a corner lot. I went in during lunchtime during the week. There was one person taking orders, and 7 or 8 people sitting inside with friends eating lunch. They package all of their meals to go, however, if you want to eat in their dining room, you can. Their BBQ Ribs come with rice, rice noodles, and wonton. I was surprised to see that a salad was included bean sprouts, fish cake, potato salad, broccoli, and marinated golden bell peppers. My ribs were not as hot as I would have liked, but their flavor was good. read more

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I have been here a few times before and have recently started dining here again and I must say the food is delish. When I have a craving for Korean food I like to bring the fam and this is our go to now. The banchan are always a delight and we like to order the spicy pork and other dishes. I like me some hot sake as well from time to time. Service is pretty good as well. read more

Good Korean food in Hercules. We came here on Wednesday for lunch and not very busy. The waitress was prompt. All the food we ordered was good. Seafood stew with ToFu Fried Chicken. All kinds of little appetizers - potatoes: cucumber; daikon marinated; etc. read more

Jumping Spoon - Everything we ordered. - Korean Near Me - Hercules, California

I've been here twice now and both times were delicious! Located in Hercules near the apartments on Sycamore, Jumping Spoon is a nice addition to the neighborhood. Interior is clean and cozy with a few TVs - one showing sports and one showing K-Pop vids. My first visit was the memorable ginger ginseng chicken stew - it was one of the most comforting soup dishes and there was literally a whole small poached chicken in it- it was tender and fell off the bones. The broth was also delicious and dare I say healing? My bf and I met his fam here for our first New Year's lunch yesterday and had another yummy experience. This time I got the half order of the garlic soy fried chicken ($11.99), which came with plenty of chicken- I even auctioned off some in exchange for some bulgogi. Chicken was piping hot, crispy, juicy and had all of the sweet and savory flavors. It also came with a small side slaw. I ate my meal with a some rice and was pretty stuffed. Highly recommend. Did I mention that they give unlimited ban chan (the multiple Korean appetizers)? We took advantage and ordered more of our favorites. There was only one waitress serving the whole place so service was a little slow and we had to ask for water a few times but overall a solid spot for a tasty Korean meal in Hercules. The galbi is next on my list! read more

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This is a great place for a small group to gather. Several of my friends met here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon; it wasn't very busy and we were seated right away. There is a lot of natural light from one wall of windows, but there was no direct sunlight hitting us; not sure if that is the case all the time. The restaurant is below some apartments in Hercules and it was easy to find parking; there is a 2 hour time limit for (free) street parking, but that was plenty of time for us all to arrive, eat, chat and leave in a leisurely manner. The food was very tasty; I ordered the vegetable tofu stew (photo has been uploaded), two of my friends ordered the teriyaki chicken (boxed lunch, not sure exactly what it was called) and another friend ordered the grilled chicken (boxed lunch, same as above). We all were very satisfied with our choices. I was able to ask for mild spices for my tofu stew, which was good because I cannot handle a lot of spiciness. The prices are reasonable and the amount of food was "just right"; none of us took anything home. The waitress was attentive and took care to refill our water pitchers as needed and clear away our empty plates in a timely manner. We all enjoyed ourselves and see this as a place we would come back to at some point in the future. read more

Jumping Spoon - Vegetable Tofu Stew; absolutely delicious - Korean Near Me - Hercules, California

A friend and I ate here after exploring one of the museums in the City for a couple of hours. The food was alright. The fish cakes were firm, which may throw off those who aren't used to eating fish cakes like that. While I was in South Korea, however, every restaurant I dined at served firm fish cakes. It brought back a lot of good memories eating those fish cakes. The galbi was well seasoned but the meat was a bit on the tough side. The chicken was, of course, very good. Customer service was average here. The staff weren't as talkative, but they were friendly. Overall, I wasn't too impressed dining at Jumping Spoon. The food was average and so was the service. I have nothing against them, so I wouldn't mind giving them another try. read more

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Love this place! The food always hits the spot, quite flavorful and pretty decent portion sizes. The workers are always polite. The ambiance is calm and open with plenty of seating for small and larger groups. This place is always clean and is never overly busy which is a big plus in my books! read more

Glad they survived. Got our Korean cravings satisfied at Jumping Spoon. Limited indoor seating. Small dishes came out pretty fast. I got the Combo tofu soup and the Mrs had the beef bibimbap, our favorites. Plentiful street parking. Decent meal at a decent price, we will be back. **The lunch special is only m-f. not available on weekend or holidays. read more

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It was a chilly day and didn't really feel like doing any home cooking. As always, it was Yelp to the rescue. It was almost a struggle trying to figure out where to go for something for this kinda weather. I knew I wanted some sorta soup or stew or something to that caliber. Then the discovery of Jumping Spoon. Close to home, affordable, no parking issues?! YAAAASSSSS. (Yelper pictures helped a lot, too.) I zoomed my way through here to make it at opening hour. After reviewing everything online (menu included) it was a nice surprise to find what I was eye-ing on a reduced price. (A whole dollar less. Hey, a buck is a buck! Yay!) First customer of the day so I got to choose where to sit. Chose a window overlooking the street. I was given the menu in no time, but other than ordering what I already had in mind (Soon Doo Boo: mix, mild spice.) I was given a nice cup of tea as I waited, but that wait was not long at all. The banchan came through literally seconds later. And it is PLENTY. But then, I thought, "Where's the fried fish?" But forgot about it almost immediately when I sampled each and every side. There was nothing wrong with any of them! I had to stop for a minute because I wanted to leave room for my main course. The advantages of being the first (and only) customer at the time being. My bowl came out piping hot HOT HOT! It was aromatic, I mean it smelled dynamite. And then the appearance caught me off for a bit - it's lookin' a bit pale for mild spice. (I spoke to Hubbers about it he said mild spice at some places like these means no spice. Got it.) But I was SOOOO welcoming of this mishap. Once cooled off, the broth is AMAZING. I came into realization I wouldn't have been able to give this a go if it was spiced. There truly was a lot of work put in for that distinguished taste. After enjoying that (immensely, I might add) I added kimchi to get the spice level I wanted. Plenty of beef and seafood (clams, shrimp, mussels) commensurate to the amount of tofu. And then a first: I actually finished the entire bowl. Too fast, in fact, that it was still borderline warm/hot by the time I was done. It was that YUMMERS!!!! FOOD: 5. SERVICE: 4. (My server sorta kept to herself pretty much the whole time after I was served. VALUE: 5. Soooo worth it. PARKING: Street. Not an issue, there is plenty. OVERALL: 4.5. I was a little glad I didn't get the fish by the end of my meal. I wouldn't have had enough room anyway. But I will ask about it next time. The place was about a third full by the time I was done, but there were a lot of called-in orders, so I guess you can say they are somewhat popular, sorta. If you're in the mood for Korean food and happy to be in this quiet town of Hercules, come by and check them out. Sooo coming back to try sooo many other things on their menu! read more

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Nice to know that Hercules has been booming with many restaurants lately. This place is located by the Aventine Apartments. Went here last week for lunch. We ordered the Galbi (BBQ short ribs) and Dae Ji Bul Go Gi (spicy marinated pork). Both dishes came with a scoop of rice, Japchae (sweet potato noodles), Mandu (dumpling), kimchi cabbage, cucumber, daikon, potatoes, fish cake strips, marinated bean sprouts, and blanched broccoli. The BBQ a short ribs were delicious. The meat was tender and very sweet from the marinade. I loved the contrast in texture from the meat and the fatty cartilage surrounding the bone. It was served on a bed of cabbage. The rice and Japchae were excellent side dishes with the beef. The noodles had a nice sweet flavor. The dumpling was not too bad. It had a nice crunch and the filling was pretty savory and a little bit sweet. The spicy marinated pork was phenomenal. It was not too spicy. The spice was not too overwhelming and it had a little sweetness to it. Pairing it with the rice and noodles gave the pork a more balanced flavor. The rest of the banchan (side dishes) were good additions to the meal. I appreciated the kimchi vegetables were not too spicy. The pickling of the vegetables was pretty on point. The non-kimchi banchan balanced the rest of the vegetables and pretty much balanced our meals. Service was good. We opted for takeout and our cashier/waitress was pretty friendly and courteous. Glad to have finally tried this place out. read more

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Great Korean food , great services I always come for my dinner, especially chicken soup with sticky rice inside

[ During Covid Review ] Located across from the plaza, they have street parking and the sign is big and visible to be seen . When walking in, it seems like this place is doing some sort of remodeling because half of the place was blocked off with some of the walls being torn off. They have 2-3 seats for those who want to wait inside for their food orders, but you must wear a mask. I would say that they do follow the guidelines, but there was a moment where these two ladies came in and one wasn't wearing a mask and the employee didn't enforce that woman to wear a mask...a little bit uncomfortable there. Other than that, I ordered some bulgogi to go and just a heads up, the amount they give you can feed 2-3 people. They also gave me "extra" bon chon; however, it seemed like the amount any other restaurant would give. The bulgogi was pretty good in flavor, but the meat was a bit dry. The kimchi that was in the bon chon could have been fermented more, but overall it was good. Overall, the food was decent but I do wish they enforced the masks a bit more and made sure everyone made a mask though. read more

Finally tried this restaurant with 2 of my girlfriends for an early dinner. We ordered soft tofu soup, beef galbi and whole order of fried chicken. Food was good, butt I thought the server a little rude. When she served the food, I thank her in Korean language and she just looked away. I said fine, maybe she's just a snobbish person. The server went to our table when she noticed that we are finished eating to ask if we need to go boxes but I said we're not done eating. My friends and I are still in the middle of catching up and after 30 minutes she came back again to ask if we need more time We felt we were rushed to go leave the restaurant and so we did. The restaurant was not even full and there were only 3 tables occupied. We gave 20% tip bec we enjoyed the food but probably not going back because of her. If you like Korean food, it's worth the try but be warned about the rude lady server. read more

We ordered takeout this evening and were pretty disappointed with the quality of the food. We ordered online and were quoted a 15min wait but when we got there at that time we had to wait an additional 10min before the food was ready. The bulgogi was dry and composed mostly of tiny shreds of meat. The rice was overcooked and clumped into a soft nearly homogenous ball. The vegetarian tofu soup we ordered as medium spicy was not spicy at all and lacked flavor. Overall, disappointed with this experience but willing to give them another try due to the convenience of the location. read more

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This is a flavorful, family friendly restaurant. My family enjoys the soft tofu mushroom soup and their dolsot bibimbap. We always leave feeling satisfied and grateful that this restaurant is so close to home. read more

This restaurant is literally minutes from our house, so we get to enjoy their food whenever we want. It is located on the bottom level of some luxury apartment homes, so they get a decent amount of foot traffic. The place itself is not very big with probably 12 smaller tables. I love Korean BBQ because of all the little side dishes they serve, but with SIP, we haven't visited many Korean spots because part of the experience is eating there. But, we have been cooking our own Kalbi at home and my husband had the best idea to just order the sides to go. I wasn't sure if they would sell just the sides so my husband called in to ask and they were super nice and said they would have it ready in a couple minutes. We ordered two servings because we like them that much. I was quite impressed with the amount and variety they gave us. It is pretty much your standard sides: bean sprouts, fish cake, kimchi, potato salad, greens and pickled radish. The two servings was the perfect amount with even a little leftover. Now that I know they serve the side dishes alone, I will be passing by more often. It's a great snack or even a light lunch. read more

Jumping Spoon - Our two orders of side dishes to go with our homemade Kalbi. - Korean Near Me - Hercules, California

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This place is gorgeous inside with nice high ceilings. The staff is always friendly, and most importantly, the food is AMAZING!!! I have never had a bad dish here. The appetizers and entrees are all good sized, and the food always tastes consistently great. I am about to order take out right now!!! Pork and chicken Bul Go Gi are my favorites!!! read more

Returned to Jumping Spoon to try the tteokbokki with fishcake and the kimchi-buchimgae and they were both excellent. The tteokbokki was spicy but not overwhelmingly so, and the pancake was delicious. Next time I'll try the Army Stew and/or the Naengmyeon. read more

I've tried pretty much all the dishes. They are ok compared to other Korean restaurants. Their prices are expensive. They are hidden in sort of a residential area. Dining area is small but cozy. Service is friendly. Overall, I would say they are slightly above average and not outstanding. read more

Not the worst Korean I have but not worth the drive here at all. The fishcake seems a little dry, however, one of my friend liked it. I think they deep fry the fishcake here. The bulgogi and the chicken were overly salty and the chicken was super dry. I feel like they just cooked the chicken and smothered the sauce on it. The glass noodle was super chewy. It's like a battle eating it. The seafood pancake had no flavor to it at all and the sauce didn't add much flavor to it. read more

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Odered half fried chicken with other dishes and was shocked when we saw this 5 half wings/drummetes. Other dishes were ok but will not try it again. read more

Always my go.to for quick dine in and pick up food. Good food! Convenient for parking and great staff and customer service.

Excellent food all around! I love their lunch special dosirak! Quick service and consistent quality of food! read more

Nice people and good food! I also like the fact that I live close. Love their mildly hot salads and Korean bbq chicken.

I have eaten here since they opened. I believe there must have been some change in ownership. The experience we had tonight has never happened, we will not be returning. No one at the door so we sat ourselves, no problem we weren't in a rush. I wasn't asked if I wanted anything to drink, they just brought water. Hubby ordered hot sake. No Banchan was offered, yet a table after us sat and they received 4 Banchan. We looked to see if there was a sign or note on the menu that you needed to request it, but we found none. The next table came in and they received the four Banchan immediately upon sitting. I remember they use to serve 8-10 Banchan, but I can understand that due to inflation they have had to adjust portions, but you should advertise the change. My husbands' dish arrived considerably before mine. I had ordered #53 half & half chicken. The fried chicken had no salt on it and the Garlic/soy had no garlic in the sauce. It tasted like the sweet sauce you find on sesame chicken. It should have been 6 pieces of each, but I received 5 of one and 5 1/2 of the other. Now it is only my observation, but the two tables that came in after us were all Asian. I am Asian, but my husband isn't, while I hope that wasn't the reason we were treated differently-it did make both of us feel uncomfortable. Having lived in Rodeo for 20 years now this is the first time we have felt uneasy about a local restaurant experience. read more

Jumping Spoon - Half & half chicken 5 of garlic soy and 6 of fried. No garlic and no salt. - Korean Near Me - Hercules, California