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Kimchi Korean BBQ

4.2 (616 reviews)
PriceyKorean, Barbeque
Open • 12:00 pm - 3:30 PM, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

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Kimchi Korean BBQ Reservations

Order Kimchi Korean BBQ Takeout or Delivery

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KIMCHI KOREAN BBQ ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Loud
Casual
Good for groups
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Kimchi Korean BBQ

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Celine P.

We came here at 2pm after two hikes and were famished. We watched all the servers go on break expect for one. There were at least 5 tables of customers. That poor guy. It was hard to be patient when we are hungry. We got platinum all you can eat because we really wanted the beef tongue. There were a few long moments when we finished all the side dishes and the meats and was simply waiting to put in our next order. The server was trying to tend to all the tables and had a positive demeanor but long wait. There is two single stall bathrooms. We were disappointed in the bulgogi nachos as the ratio of chips to meat was super off. We were also disappointed in the Korean soybean paste stew. Too salty. We tried to put some steam egg inside to make it less salty but the eggs didn't taste good anymore. We love the brisket sauce, the pickled radish wraps, daikon kimchi, pickled onions, and beef tongue the most. We ordered five plates over the course of our time mostly off the platinum menu. We were there for 2.5 hours and didn't feel satiated in the end. I would come back to try again.

Soooo worth it!!!
Abigael T.

They're quick and accommodating! The food is superb :) Definitely a must-try when you're in SB if you're looking for good comfort food. Great food, nice ambiance, and the music isn't too loud--just the right volume to enjoy your meal and have a good conversation with friends. Highly recommend!

great deal on Sapporo and Wagu Beef Belly

Very yummy food, my girlfriend and I got the platinum plan and it was very worth it, the ambiance of the restaurant was very lively almost like eating at your friends place and the service was fast and attentive, 10/10 would come again

Happy Hour!!
Suyeon P.

Having Korean BBQ in Santa Barbara~ The food was delicious, the quality was top-notch, and the service was amazing!

Ice cream's
Nelly G.

The food was great, excellent service Angie and Fernando treated us well, i love this place, they always have great music, so you can enjoy your time, the kids always have fun. Thank you for the amazing hospitality

A satisfied customer!
Bryan L.

The service here is fantastic! Servers were constantly aware of the guests needed something or wanted to order more. The detail for me is their ability to know what we needed something as simple as needing more napkins were provided before even asking them. The food was great! The choice in meats and other items was a good spread. I would definitely come back next time that I'm in town!

BEEF BULGOGI
Ирина О.

Love this place! Amazing food and service! Nice place to come with your friends and have fun time. My favorite dish is glass noodles!

Karls J.

Finger licking good, my nephew loved the corn cheese. Better than Gen, and the sides were delicious. And for the prize? Uffff. Forgot to take a picture of the actual food but def will come once a month!

The aftermath
Tatianna Z.

Tried Kimchi KBBQ in Santa Barbara on a Friday night around 7 PM and surprisingly there was no wait at all. The place is pretty small, probably only around 10 tables that seat about 4-6 people each, so it feels more cozy than a big KBBQ spot. One thing I really liked was that they have a link where you can order food directly from your phone, which made everything super easy and helped avoid waiting around for servers to come by. The service was honestly great. Everyone was very nice, attentive, and the food came out really quickly every time we ordered. That was definitely the highlight of the experience. As for the food itself, the meat quality just wasn't really up to par compared to other KBBQ places I've been to, especially for the price. They charge $36.99 and only offer 5 different meat options, which felt a little limited. I honestly think they benefit from being one of the only KBBQ spots in the wider Santa Barbara area, because in bigger cities with more competition I don't think the pricing and meat quality would stand out as much.

beef belly
Emi C.

i was excited to hear that a kbbq place opened in sb!! as an asian ucsb student i always want to try new asian places around the area. this place has its pros and cons, but i think the pros outweighs the cons definitely. there is a wide menu variety and i reccomend the lunch special its an incredible deal. the beef belly i loved, and the sausage was good too. the soondubu was good, not as good as bcd but still good! japchae was okay, i wouldn't order it again though. the brisket is what i didn't like, the cuts were too thick and too meaty, which isn't how i like my brisket and that might be a personal thing but i didn't enjoy it. same for the rice paper, normally i cannot eat kbbq without rice paper but their rice paper was a little strange tasting. there were also multiple flies flying around a lot, and i had to persistently wave them away. other than that, the service was great despite there only being one server.

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Reviews are largely positive. Diners highlight the fresh, flavorful food, attentive and friendly service, and a lively, welcoming atmosphere.

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1 month ago

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1 month ago

Wow this was truly amazing. The service was great and the ambiance was great. The food was great and the service was great.

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4 days ago

The food is great and the service is amazing!!! What a fun environment! I would definitely recommend it!

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24 days ago

Small hole in the wall treasure! Excellent food, amazing service. The host has hot peppers !

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11 days ago

So yumm! Service was fast and staff was so nice! Would def come back. Their premium meats were good quality.

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17 hours ago

great meat, delicious, fast service, amazing workers, great ice cream, amazing vibes,

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Kimchi Korean BBQ Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Kimchi Korean BBQ

Do you charge for kids?

Kids price is age plus $3 between 4-11years old. Ex) 4 year old +$3= $7 charge. 5year old… 

Is there kimchi?

Yes!

Do they play KPOP there? Not a dealbreaker, just a big fan.

They do play kpop but also they play a variety of songs that are more modern

Do they have outdoor seating or a place to sit with pets?

No, we don’t have outdoor seating. Sorry..

Do they take reservations?

No. You have to put your name on the list in person

Is it ok if there is only me in the table?

I don't see why not! It's a place to eat food, and I'm sure if you go during a lesser congested time, you'll easily get a small table to yourself.

A bit confused by the pricing for kids. Is it based on age or height? I have a 4 & 6 year old both over 50" and there's no way I'm paying an adult price for them.

Depends on age.. if you call us then we can explain more details... Thank you.

Do they serve bimibap?

Sorry,we don't have bibimbob

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Uniboil

3.9(313 reviews)
5.0 mi
•$$
Outdoor seating
Kid friendly

This is a lil hidden gem! We have made it a tradition to stop by to have dinner on our way to our…read moreevents. This is definitely not a fancy schmancy restaurant, but the food, variety and service makes it worth it. It is in a shopping plaza with spacious parking. The ambiance is very casual. You know it's good when you see locals frequenting the restaurant. You can get a variety of hot pot dishes, rice dishes, traditional dishes, boba, drinks and appetizers. The broths have several broth options and each of them have its own yumminess. Our favorite dishes are: peppered dice steak, spicy seafood hotpot, popcorn chicken and their fruit teas! The servers are young but are so friendly! If you want to add or adjust ingredients they will do it if they can. Highly suggest giving this place a try!

My friends and I visited Uniboil on a Thursday night as we were craving hotpot and I wanted some…read moredelicious food for my birthday! It's a small restaurant so just a heads up if you're trying to go with a group. As you walk in, you're able to select a table of your choosing and scan the QR code to place your order. There's a lot of variety to choose from on the menu, from different meats and appetizers to even some vegetarian options. As a group of 3, we decided to share 2 mini hot pots - the NZ lamb option and the Korean army stew. Starting with the lamb, the slices of meat are cut thinly and folded neatly into the broth, so I recommend moving it around to ensure that it cooks evenly. From the fish cake and mushroom to the tofu, I enjoyed eat bite of this dish. The only feedback I have is due to personal preference - I wish it did come with sauces because the lamb itself was not as flavorful as I hoped it would be and the broth doesn't necessarily add depth to it. Now with the Korean army stew, it's more of a mild spice level so it would be fine for anyone who doesn't have as strong of a tolerance. The standouts of this dish would be the shin ramyun, the rich broth, the quail eggs and the kimchi. It's really comforting and warming! Lastly, we did try the popcorn chicken appetizer. It was perfectly fried, still tender, and I can even taste the five spice which paired nicely with the fried basil. It's really good to have either on its own, with the sweet chili sauce provided, or even with the hot both broth as well. I definitely recommend checking out Uniboil!

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Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar - (Photo/Video by Ins@foodie.skye)

Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar

4.3(958 reviews)
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•$$

I wish I had gotten the kao soi here after trying my fiances chicken pad Thai. It was some do the…read morebest pad Thai I have ever had. Noodles were perfect texture and not clumping, the chicken was tender, little peices of tofu, green onion , shredded carrot, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts, with a lovely balanced sauce that coated the noodles beautifully. Located inside an enclosed food court it also has its own bar seating unlike the other spots that count on the communal seating of the building. We had kids with us and people ordering from different spots so sat elsewhere. I would for sure go back and order there next time as the other food spot there I used to like went down hill.

Located inside of Santa Barbara Public Market, Empty Bowl is located towards the center of the…read moremarket. They offer Thai dishes including noodle bowls, small plates, and handmade dumplings. We got the Northern Thailand Curry Noodles "Khao Soi" and the Tom Yum Noodles. The Khao Soi had egg noodles and chicken in a curry base broth with coconut milk, fish sauce, pickled mustard greens, cilantro, green onions, and housemade chili oil. They also give you crispy egg noodles to put on top. I appreciated that they wrapped this separately in foil, so they didn't get soggy right away! The chicken pieces were quite large, but overall the broth was tasty! I enjoyed the Tom Yum Noodles! For these, they use flat wheat noodles with Thai chili paste, bunashimeji mushrooms, white button mushrooms, fish sauce, red jalapeño, galangal herb, makrut lime leaves, lemongrass, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro. I chose chicken for my protein. The tom yum flavor really came through! They also give a pretty big portion! Since they are located in a food hall, you can sit at any of the tables. Empty Bowl will give you a pager, so you know when to return to the counter to pick up your food.

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Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar - (Photo/Video by Ins@foodie.skye)

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Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar - Bangkok Wings 'Peek Gai Tod': All natural free range Jidori chicken wings, Thai chilis, tamarind, fish sauce, fried garlic, makrut lime

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Sama Sama Kitchen - Smashed cucumbers ($11 at HH) 9/2026

Sama Sama Kitchen

3.9(753 reviews)
2.0 mi
•$$

We visited Sama Sama Kitchen around 7:30 pm on a Sunday and were seated immediately. The restaurant…read moreitself is beautiful, and I loved the overall ambiance and vibe inside. There's a parking garage a short walk away, along with street parking nearby, so parking wasn't too difficult. We ordered the Crispy Rice Salad, Chicken Satay, and Nasi Goreng Jawa to start, then added the Larb Gai afterward. Honestly, our original three dishes would have been plenty for three people, and adding the fourth ended up being too much food. The Crispy Rice Salad was BY FAR the star of the meal and absolutely lived up to the hype. It was so refreshing, flavorful, and easily one of the best crispy rice salads I've had. It was also the one dish from our meal that felt truly memorable. The Chicken Satay had a really good sauce, although the chicken itself leaned a little dry. The Nasi Goreng Jawa was good too, but tasted like a fairly standard fried rice to me and didn't stand out much. The Larb Gai was refreshing, but after having the Crispy Rice Salad, it felt like a much less memorable version of those same bright flavors. I honestly found myself wishing we had just ordered another Crispy Rice Salad instead. The staff was friendly, although service was a little inattentive at times and it could be difficult to get someone's attention. There was also a small mix-up at the end where I was handed the wrong physical receipt. The amount on the actual payment terminal was correct, but the receipt itself wasn't ours and the mistake hadn't been noticed before it was handed to me. They also have a gender-neutral bathroom, which was pretty clean during our visit. One random thing to watch out for is the sink because the water comes out surprisingly strong, so turn the nozzle on slowly! Overall, the food was good, but the Crispy Rice Salad was on another level compared to everything else we ordered. I'd definitely come back for that alone and would be interested in exploring some other dishes on the menu next time.

I'll start with the most important. Imagine going to a Mexican resteraunt and your waiter doesn't…read moreknow how to pronounce tortilla, or a Vietnamese resteraunt and they mispronounce pho. Have respect for the food and the culture and make sure all of your wait staff knows how to pronounce the names of the dishes properly, especially at such a high end joint. Overall the food is decent/okay, definitely nothing to write home about if you've had Indonesian food before, but not bad. Outside of the faux pas mentioner above, the wait staff was very attentive and good. The prices are high for how much food you get, but for the ambiance and location I'm not surprised. I probably would've given it a solid 3 stars if not for the initial complaint. It is a little crazy that this place is bib gormond rated, I think that shows how much Michelin values style over substance.

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The Blue Owl - Pork.Banh mi ($16|dry meat) and Strawberry Walnut salad ($15|overpriced, but very good)

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4.4(816 reviews)
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We could hear live Blues playing down the street which meant there was life. We had just left the…read moreSanta Barbara Bowl and wanted something to eat after the show ended at 9pm. Not much was open which is how we ended up here. The place was super hot so we decided to order our food to go and there was a super annoying drunk guy ahead of us in line. I felt bad for the 17 yo employee stuck interacting with them. We ordered a sandwich with shrimp in it. L said it was good but the title shouldn't mention shrimp as they were super teeny tiny and basically non existent. I got the gluten free fried rice bowl with chicken spicy. It was not spicy at all, and the chicken was a bit dry, however I could taste the flavor of the chicken and the meal was bland enough that I knew I would be okay. Earlier in the day before the bowl we went to a winery and I had a headache, so this food for me last night worked especially since we picked it up to go and had it at our Air BnB.

Horrible customer service . Walked in no hello no let me help you . Stood there like a donkey…read morewaiting for some one to even acknowledge a customer. The front of house person knew I was there and still no word. The cooks back there looked super lazy and not even a hello. Me and Another customer were just looking at each other. We both walked out- the front of house or customer rep didn't look bothered. Owner : hire someone who has basic customer service skills. It's not that hard or do self check out. We might prefer AI. Horrible wasted time on my break going to a lousy place

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4.7(248 reviews)
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This place was so good, I had to take out my phone to take notes. Each dish blew me away, and I…read morestarted texting my friends about it before all 9 courses were done. Had reservations for 7 pm dinner on Friday. The place wasn't busy during our entire dining experience. Aside from a larger table of ~10 people and 2 smaller tables, the place was empty, which was nice and quiet for date night and anniversary celebration. The 9-course Kaiseki was plate after plate of flavor. Highlights: - Course 4: Somen with sweet broth, grilled beef, and grilled green onion. THIS. The beef was so good, I refused to swallow, so I could savor the flavor. Fatty in flavor. Lean in cut. Somen cooked to perfection. - Course 7: Chilean sea bass simmered in bonito chicken broth with daikon and green beans ~ THE SEA BASS WAS GAS. Marinated in miso before grilling, the tenderness and juiciness of the sea bass is locked in prior to simmering in the broth. Chicken broth with the bonito added depth to the dish. - Course 9: Black sesame pudding with tangerine jelly ~ THIS. This dish embodied the level of black sesame I expect for any dish. Tangerine jelly cuts through as a nice refresher for the next bite. Perfectly not too sweet. All in all, I had the best experience. Each component of a dish adds its own flavor that completes the dish as a whole. Ultimately, one of my favorite culinary experiences that took my taste buds on a journey! Would return!

I went for the first time last night and I have to say I had high expectations and left…read moredisappointed. Of the 8 courses I only liked these 4. The food was just not that good honestly. It was $600 for my husband and I, it was not at the level. They only had two white wine options which were both Chardonnay. The service was a 10/10. The ambiance was odd, super bright and no one else in the restaurant after 7:45.

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Sun Sushi - 6-step salmon yummmm

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4.3(509 reviews)
0.5 mi
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The food is incredible! We got a table after maybe 20-30 minutes? But oh my god, I went on a one…read morenight trip to Santa Barbara from Los Angeles with my girlfriend and this was incredible!!! We actually went the two days we were there cause it was just so good. The pricing is also very good. Will be coming back! Ambiance is very nice, I mean typical restaurants ambiance. Service was also very good

Sun Sushi is located in a nondescript strip mall on State Street, but their food is mostly really…read morefresh and delicious. The miso soup was pretty "meh", but the salad with its miso dressing was tasty, as was the shrimp and veggie tempura; nothing outstanding, but on point. The pork-filled gyoza were also fresh and delicious. The "Bluefin tuna 6 ways" was outstanding: each presentation highlighted different cuts of the fish and each one was delicious and a bit different, really good. My girl had some green tea mochi she liked; I tasted it and it didn't do much for me, but... Wine pours by the glass are generous and reasonable, and the service was just fine, courteous and attentive. This is a small restaurant and it can get kind of noisy and crowded, but that's also a testament to the fact people know how good this place is. If you're a local you probably know this, but if you're a visitor (like we were) be sure to check this place out if you're in Santa Barbara and craving really good Japanese food. Recommended.

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Kimchi Korean BBQ - korean - Updated October 2026

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