Normally I wouldn't write a review about a place until I've been there at least 2x but I don't live close to this. Also, I found this place on a whim. My friend and I were gonna go to 92kbbq AYCE originally but that place was ridiculously packed with a line outside so we decided to try another place and I literally found this one on a whim off yelp and I'm truly glad I did. PARKING: Parking SUCKS. Omg, my friend who lives in the area was driving it took us at least 20 min to get a parking spot anywhere in that shopping center. There's so many eateries throughout it though so I'm not surprised. Yes it was Saturday, but still... ENTRY: There's only one little place to sit and it's to the left and it's only for two people and it's literally next to the employee office and I kid you not it was so close to where I was sitting while waiting for my table, the host, this pretty boy young latin dude (Who was super nice btw, great guy) kept going in and out a few times and I'd have to literally move my legs to the right so my knees wouldn't get in the way of the door or hit it whenever he'd open or close that door. And he felt so bad every time he had to go in and out of there but it's okay I understood and again, the guy was super nice. Also, we were 4th in line which was about a 15-20min wait. Only had to wait like 25 min total in actuality and the young host guy was really great about getting us to our table as quick as possible bearing that in mind. AMBIANCE/ENVIRONMENT: Not bad. A lot of booths bunched together. I'm surprised they had space for a small panchan buffet but it was awesome which I will talk about in the food part next. Lots of fans which is good. It's kind of a weird setup though cuz my friend and I went through the side, which led to a back area where there were a bunch of tables and a couple of booths but it's cool and I'll explain why later. PRICE: I believe my friend and I went with dinner "B" which was $36.95/person and the more "pricey" option. Was great. FOOD: OMG the meats they have are great. The panchan area has radishes, onions, potato salad, and bacon slices which were beautifully salted. I could've had a meal with just that and rice or rice paper and be cool. That's how cool the bacon slices were. Also, you have curry chicken, brisket of course, beef belly, pork belly, I liked the pork collar which is like a small pork steak with a bit of tendon in it. They had ribeye which I'm not a fan of at these places, but my friend had it and he was happy. It's not cuz of this place, it's every kbbq place that has ribeye. It's always thin for me and I like thick ribeye steak. So NOT a knock on them. Plus, their B menu only has ONE ribeye per table/party, NOT per person which is ridiculous since you're paying per person and it's on the menu B list but whatever not a big deal to me. They also have intestines, top blade, marinated pulgogi. My favorite which I have NEVER seen in my life at any kbbq place EVER was FILLET MIGNON. Real fillet mignon. My favorite steak cut of all. And the craziest thing is they put a limit on ribeye and short rib (1 per person), but not fillet mignon. That alone was worth the price. I had at least 3 servings which comes out in either 2 or 3 little pieces. I don't care I get my moneys worth wherever I go when I can. It was FANTASTIC omg. Had my meat with rice which is great. Not burned or undercooked or too mushy. I think they use korean green rice or japanese calrose they're virtually the same consistency but they make it wonderfully every time. They didn't have iced tea I think so I got diet coke which was great. SERVICE: They were all great and super nice, all young people. They don't come to check on you regularly but they're always around somewhere, especially considering where my friend and I sat was in a section right outside the kitchen, and whenever you call them over, they always come to you willing to help and NEVER give attitude and when you ask them for something they get it for you quick even if they may have been on their way to another table or something. That meant for a lot. The young pretty boy host guy was also doubling as a supplement to the servers he was awesome. Taking orders as well. There was a guy with long hair I think in a ponytail and a baseball cap. He was really great. And a third guy who was asian he was nice too. Helped us a little as well. BATHROOM: Didn't use it so I have no opinion on it. BOTTOM LINE: Would I go back? YES! My friend too. Meats were all great. That fillet mignon omg. My next time I already told my friend that's what I'm going to have 80% of my meal. The other 20% will be white rice, bacon, maybe pork collar if I feel like it and have room haha. Service is great. It's a great place to go when I visit my friend who lives in Lomita and for him too cuz he didn't even know about it til I found it. So for sure as long as there is a table I won't have to wait too long to sit at when I go, yes i'm going back! FIVE STARS read more

Good kbbq, quality of the meat and the sides were good, I do wish they had more sides but at the same time it's okay because there's more space for meat. The sides they do have, is always fresh and good quality. Usually wait isn't too long or you can join with the waitlist. Consistently busy which is good, but I do notice I feel like it is a little short staffed as sometimes I would have difficulty finding my server to order more meat or water as they were helping other patrons. Solid choice for kbbq especially late night, if you just need meat and rice then this is the place to go. read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant is one of my favorite spots for Korean BBQ! The AYCE is very affordable, and the quality of the meat is surprisingly good for the price. Everything tasted fresh and well-marinated, and there were plenty of options to choose from. The servers are friendly, attentive, and quick to change the grill and bring refills. The whole experience felt welcoming and comfortable. Plus, there's free parking, which makes it even more convenient. Great value for the quality -- I'll definitely be back! read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - menu - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

Came in at almost 9:45 pm and they agreed to sit us down. (The place says it closes at 11:30 pm on google. Yelp says 11pm, ok cool.)The problem is after maybe about 10 mins sitting down and getting our first order, another server came up to our table and told us that it's the last call. They didn't tell us this on our first round order when we are trying to decide to go for the cheaper A option or the more expensive B option. They waited a few minutes until we decided to go for the B option and told us that it's the last call after our first order lol. That's some shady practice right there. Even at last call they only wanted you to order like 4-5 meat plates and that's some BS! read more

NOPE. Tonight this place closes at 11:30pm. Got seated around 9:40pm and didn't get told that last call for meats was at 10pm. Ordered option B on the menue which is the most expensive option to be cut short. First and last time trying this place. read more

Update - Thank you for your response. I'd like to clarify a few inaccuracies in your reply. My party consisted of two women, and we did not order or consume any alcohol during our visit. My original review was intended to provide constructive feedback based on our experience. Unfortunately, your response was not receptive to that feedback and included false assumptions. Due to the lack of customer service skills demonstrated in your reply, I have adjusted my rating accordingly. Because of this interaction, I've decided that I will not be returning to your establishment. I wish you the best moving forward. ------------ I love Korean bbq however this place is mid and lackluster. I came here with my friend because she recommended it from a prior time she was here. While we understand the time limit it felt like the person in charge of the establishment was rushing us. We kept adjusting the flame to not burn our meat but our server kept cranking it up. over all it felt like it we were being rushed to eat and had a poor experience. The meat marinate was mid and passable but not enjoyable. We also noticed the owner yelling at one of the staff so it felt quite unpleasant and left a sour taste. read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

What happened to this place?! I used to come here quite often because I genuinely enjoyed my experience here; it was one of the original Kbbq spots in the South Bay that had the mini salad bar for serve yourself banchans. It used to be fairly priced with good quality meat choices, but sad to report the last couple times I've come, and today's experience led me to come straight to Yelp so yall don't have to. Price has gone up. Quality of meat and sides down. Ambiance not welcoming. Service unfortunately, trash! Now I understand when things get busy, and I am fairly patient as I understand customer service, but today we were blatantly ignored by the employees. We were made to feel so uncomfortable that we ended up leaving and going elsewhere. I think this may have been the final straw for me, it's not worth the treatment we received today, and there are so many other options to choose from now. Save your time and money and go elsewhere, literally anywhere else. Do not recommend. Happy eats, loves! ^_^ read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - Meat! - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

See all

Solid AYCE in Torrance. Nice banchans in a self serve area including radish, Napa, and bean sprout kimchi among other things. Service is fast. I think the downsides to this place are that the hoods are not very powerful so you will smell like smoke after and the grills can be finicky in power sometimes. But it's quite a reasonably priced AYCE for the quality of meat you are getting - not particularly greasy or fatty. I think if I come again then I would only get the A menu. While the short rib and wagyu were great in the B menu I'm not sure I would mind making up the difference with beef brisket cuts. read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - Wagyu Beef Short Plate (Beef Belly) - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

Solid option for AYCE in the South Bay at a reasonable price. We went for a late night dinner with a larger party (10 people). There really aren't any tables for parties larger than 8 but we decided to squeeze in order to avoid having to wait or split up. The restaurant is located in a small strip mall next to BCD. There's plenty of parking if you're going off dinner rush hours. Inside, it's a bit bare bones and smoky. Definitely can feel the slippery grease on the floor so tread slowly. We chose the A option which had a good selection of meats from brisket to pork belly to seafood. No prime wagyu or tongue. Quality of meat is solid with good marbling. They provide generous sized plates which is rare for ayce and it comes out quickly. The selection of sauces and sides is limited compared to other places. They ran out of japchae and radishes. Service was fast but spotty. They forgot our rice, did not refill water, and didn't change our grill once over 2 hours Overall, a solid kbbq if you care about quality cuts of meat and variety. Outside of that, the dining experience fell a little flat. read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

It's so good I had to come back again. I think I've been coming once a month since I discovered this place! Yum!! read more

See all

I love how quickly they seated us. They had full tables filled with lots of families even children. We went with Choice A which were 32.99 per person for dinner. The cuts of meats varied per size, number, and quality. We got the shoulder blade many times and sometimes got 2,3,4. I mean AYCE though so we kept asking for more. The ban chan bar is such a clever idea. We kept going back for the thin scallion salad, pink pickled daikon, and the rice paper. Also I'm so impressed because they had chunky salt that made the sesame oil so much more flavorful and fun to dip meat in. We were there for an hour and a half. There were two big TVs and they were playing kpop music videos and at one point Adele. At another point a server closed the door next to each which is such a wild choice since the air so stuffy and full of smoke from the kbbq. At the end, our skin was greasy but my stomachs happy. read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

Great experience dining here! Service was friendly and very attentive. Meat selection was wide and affordable with two different price points depending on what selections you prefer. The self service bar was awesome- I got to get my side dishes myself without constantly bothering someone for extra kimchi & radish. Also loved the bibimbap bowl as my side of extra veggies plus carbs that paired perfectly with the grilled meats. Interior is not modern or fancy but it's clean and quaint which I find a bit charming- like a spot only locals frequent. I recommend! read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

See all

Food is delicious as always. :) The meats are so good, and the B option is worth the upgrade. Service was quick and the servers were friendly. Our main server of the night, I believe her name was Sua, was super on top of things! I genuinely appreciated the quick water refills, multiple tray swaps, and how often they checked in for our meats. Place was super nice and clean, and is my usual go to kbbq spot. Thank you for serving us! read more

One of the more OG KBBQ spots in Torrance. Food quality is great, atmosphere is great, service is EXCELLENT. Considering the quality and all of the options, this is hands-down one of the best KBBQ spots for your dollar. Service- the staff is SO friendly. They frequently walk around and intentionally look at the tables to make sure they're providing the best experience. Food- Great meat selection, yummy banchan/side dish bar! Yummy side orders: the soon tofu at KoRyuJung is so good. It's one of the tastiest soon tofus I've had! I got the ramen and it was okay, but the star is truly that soon tofu. Ambience- depending on the night, it can be busier or more peaceful. I honestly prefer more peaceful spots, so it's great that this place has both depending on the night. read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - Tofu Soup / Soon tofu - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

See all

The spot for the best experience you will ever have. Top quality Meats- the best staff. Never had any issues. Been a half dozen or more times. It's my go to spot when I'm in the South Bay visiting family and friends. a must stop destination- get it while it's hot! Literally! Come on down for a great meal, fun times. read more

See all

The best Korean barbecue spot I tried others but the price and the food does not beat this one! Their service is impeccable very kind, the restaurant is clean. It's also spacious. read more

My go to place with friends and family since high school. Good meat quality and big serving per portion. Sides are quality too. Service is good usually not a long wait whenever we go. Ambiance is nice as well read more

To be fair, it's more like 3.5 stars but here's my breakdown of this place... Fyi, they don't seat you if you're a party of 1 (disappointing) so skip this place if eating alone. This time I brought a friend and we got seated pretty fast on a Saturday night so started off well. I had no idea there was a self-serve station for all the sides with plenty of options.. amazing concept. The place was busy but service was timely and friendly, checking in often. We got orders in right away and they showed up not long after. The food itself was either hit or miss. Hit: All of the following were very FRESH and clean! Beef Brisket, Chicken Bulgogi and Beef Bulgogi were all seasoned well, very yummy. The dipping sauces are pretty nice but not the BEST out there. Glass noodles were lovely, potato salad chunky, milky and creamy and with NO RAISINS thank God lol. Asparagus and salad greens were a nice veggie option although I couldn't find any dressing but that could've just been me. Bean sprouts had perfect spicy sauce. Pickled radishes delicious..They also had watermelon which was so sweet and juicy I could've eaten just that the whole time lol. Cons: Two of my favorite side dishes failed to deliver. Rice paper I love SOOO much and look forward to it because not all kbb places have it. These were thick, not as gelatinous, flavorless (how does rice paper not even taste like rice?) and didn't pair well with the sauces. The texture misses that delicate chewiness and the way it "breaks apart" is exactly like a slice of Kraft American cheese, so weird lol. Then there's the kimchee cucumbers. Just one word... BITTER. Overall the experience was pretty good and I like that they give you 2 hours before kicking you out. That said, for me it's definitely worth driving further to a 5 star ayce spot for a tastier meal (with sushi!!!) at a cheaper price. read more

See all

10/10 friendly attentive staff and love that their salad bar is easily accessible. Service is good. Can get pretty busy on weekends so plan accordingly. Pretty clean and spacious ! read more

Food is always quality, servers are professional and atmosphere is great on a cold night. good luck finding parking plaza can get packed on weekend nights!! read more

This place is my personal favorite. They're so simple with everything that they do and outdo the competition in the surrounding area. Our go to is always the beef brisket, spicy pork bulgogi and the thin sliced pork belly. The spicy pork always hits, and the brisket and pork belly always leaves us satisfied. Pair these up with the bibimbap or white rice and you're in for a treat. The staff is always on their A game making sure you're attended the whole time. It's a smaller place but it works so well for them. They have music playing on the tvs, self serve sides in the middle and plenty of tables to suit your needs. read more

been coming here for years now. No it's not going to be as new and fancy as a 92kbbq or any other newer more popular mainstream spots. But it is one of the only ayce that includes bibimbap and ramen (in the south bay at least), it has good variety and the price isn't bad. It's an older spot but the vibes inside are always good, staff is always nice. Even when there is the option to go elsewhere, maybe somewhere aesthetically "nicer" I continue to return here year after year. read more

If you are looking to get your Korean bbq fix, Ko Ryo Jung will do the job! We typically go to GEN but when the wait is too long, we try to find other places. My first time trying this place and it's decent! We called ahead to see if there was a wait and it was only 10min. They have a little buffet area to grab your sides and sauces which is nice so you don't have to wait for your waiter. They have rice paper, salad, kimchi, and other sides you would typically see at a kbbq spot. You get two options, A or B. Option A was perfect for my party, had all the meats, soups and egg that we wanted. The meat quality was pretty good, no complaints. The tofu soup had good flavor but didn't really like the meats they had in there, just liked the soup and tofu. Like I said, if you are craving kbbq and need a quick fix, this does the job! read more

I absolutely love Korean bbq and this spot did not disappoint. I came here with my husband and really enjoyed this restaurant. We looked at the menu options and chose menu A. There was quite a good selection of meats and what we also liked was the mini buffet of sides you could get along with the sauces and veggies to grill along with your meat. The meat looked fresh and staff were constantly moving so anything we needed was quickly brought. I am happy to say we did have a good time and left with full bellies. read more

Very easy to order between the two sets for the table and choose what meats we wanted. The servers were really nice and helped us as this was our first time here! The self-serve banchan was refilled often and quickly, and their daikon was the perfect thinness for rolling the meat in. read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

Service was bad. They didn't check if we need anything. After delivering the food they disappeared the shrimp was did not taste fresh...I talked to the manager but didn't even listen to what i was explaining to him he thinks it's about a free meal I think I can still pay for our foodthe server was sweet but has no clue about service etiquette read more

The menu items have always been fresh and plentiful. The Bandhan is select, tasty, and as much as you want, it's buffet bar style. Waite service is generally spot on, sometimes a bit longer when they're slammed, but still more than acceptable. We've been eating there for over 15 years, and try to make it at least once a week. If you want to avoid a packed out house, then I suggest Mon-Thurs, and lunchtime Sat and Sun. Just a thought, at times there may be patrons to this establishment who are all about themselves... loud, unperceptive, and perhaps are large children whom didn't get proper etiquette instilled in them, and haven't observed the surrounding responses to their particularly unique public behavior. But then, we are surrounded by them at times. That's why I suggested the visit times above. But, unfortunately, they're never totally avoidable. So, if you like Korean AYCE BBQ, then Ko Ryo Jung is well located in SW Torrence, and you can count on a satisfying dining experience. Note to negative posters, if you find you're having negative experiences when most are not, try checking within for the source of the problem! It might help clear things up for you! 5 stars for this restaurant and its' staff! It's a permanent establishment on our list! read more

My gf and i love this place, their bowls were full with meat, BUT last month they started giving broccoli with the bowls.. Alright cool some veggies, NOW Japchae and broccoli, and as you can see this is a significant change to the portion of meat. When ordering, there is no mention of japchae or broccoli, this is cute but im here to eat, and i need some meat, i hope you are able to change this soon or at least give the option to only have meat. (I eat enough veggies) still love ya. EDIT: Thank you for the advice boss man, FIVE STARS I'll be back soon read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - Beef bowl - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

We celebrated my son's birthday and the staff was amazing. They helped us create a memorable experience.

Ko Ryo Jung is a hidden gem for Korean cuisine lovers who value authenticity over flash. Tucked away in a large plaza. The service is always prompt and warm. The staff is always kind. The quality of their food is great and savory. read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - Yum! - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

See all

Best food, service is amazing. They have the best workers. Very friendly and are always asking if you need anything. I'll give them 5 starts in everything. Customer service and well as quality on food and prices . read more

8:30 pm party of 2 Sign in tablet at the entrance. My first visit. Service was great! There was plenty of server attention to our table and the tables around us. No table pan chan but a very small salad bar set up with some potato salad, veg, kimchi, sauces, butter, and bacon. I would've settled for menu A but my TTSS (tryin to see something) said menu B was a must get. Really enjoyed the kalbi rib, limited per person, good size, and amount of meat on the bone. Not the thin slices you see in a regular plate. Marinade gave it that nice caramelized finish. I usually ignore chicken but their marinated chicken is actually pretty good too. $40 per person AYCE and before tip was $91.94 I'd be willing to return. read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - 2024.08.19 no one needs to lead their grill like this tho lol - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

Very excellent service. The waiters are very attentive and the food is very delicious read more

Ko Ryo Jung Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Torrance, California

We've been to most of the KBBQ in Torrance and Gardena, if not all of them. Ko Ryo Jung meat quality is definitely up there. They serve filet Mignon, ribeyes and thicker slices of thin sliced beef tongue. The restaurant tables are clean. The staff is attentive and kind. (David offered and brought over octopus headless because we asked). Enjoy the food, aromas and free flowing soju. read more

See all

The meats were pretty good the sides were mediocre and the waiters were pretty nice. My only problem was if it's an all you can eat Korean BBQ why are you limited to only getting certain meats once and that's all you're already paying a lot. It's not cheap it just defeats the purpose "ALL YOU CAN EAT" MY RATE IS 7.1 read more

They will only serve a party of 2 or more. If you go in alone, as I did, they would not serve me. What horrible customer service that is. They'd rather lose money and a potential future customer because a customer is alone. Is that good business sense??? How ridiculous. read more

i like this place the food is yummy and the meat comes out fast but service is hit or miss, you either have a really nice server or someone who doesn't rly care ... the restaurant is clean but a bit small and can get crowded around the self serve station .. bathrooms are stocked tho read more

Best Korean bbq I've tasted as of yet Food: 5/5 The options of meat varied depending on if you chose option a or b that night we chose a and it was still plenty of meat to choose from and bon chin were plenty as well when I say gas I mean fire I mean tasteful I mean flavor bomb of choices of meat and their sauce complimented the meats very well my son had kbbq for the first time as well and he loved it!!! Service : 5/5 The waiters were attentive and the were at our table every 5 minutes to make sure if we needed anything fast and polite appreciated their service fr!! Ambiance : 5/5 it was cozy romantic they were doing so renovations at the time so it was a bit tight but we had a big booth to enjoy our meal so we had plenty of room loved the decor gave me korea vibes like I was in Seoul but I was only the LA county enjoyed my experience I loved it 5/5 will come back again read more

Used to like coming to this place. But now they try to play their customers by stupid by taking other people on the waitlist that came in after and checked in after and they say "they called in ". read more

I went to this place couple years ago and decided to revisit it. I had a great time. Food was good. Very large portions. Great to share. I think it's a fair price compared to other Korean barbecue places in the area. I actually prefer this place because it's more authentic. The service was actually really awesome even though it was a packed Saturday night! read more