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    Kogi BBQ

    4.1 (1.7k reviews)
    PriceyKorean, Barbeque
    Closed 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

    Kogi BBQ Photos

    Business Info

    KOGI BBQ ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Kogi BBQ

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    Corn cheese
    May C.

    Kogi KBBQ was a viiibe Service was amazing and the meat quality was yummy! Bulgogi was definitely my fave and you already know I had to get the corn cheeseeeee because I will never say no to corn cheese lol. The rice paper was lowkey kinda dry and tough though and the fries portion had me like... that's it?? BUT I love that they have a dinner deal after 9pm! The soju bomb really was THE BOMB and the soju highball was yummy too. Overall we ate good, drank good, had a good time Definitely can't wait to come back!

    Visit May 2026: Use the rice noodle/paper thingy to make wraps
    Jeff R.

    Visit May 2026 I'm not the greatest authority on K-BBQ. That would be my daughters. They both like this place more than other sites singling out meat quality and space as wining attributes. The meat quality was indeed really good and I got my belly full by the end of the night. Again, I'm not an expert...we stuck with pork and beef. Been my experience that chicken and any seafood tends to be a downer anyways. Traditional sides like corn cheese (gooey goodness), steamed egg, and kimchi. I tried their kimchi fried rice and it wasn't too flavorful. I liked the rice noodle paper side used to make little wraps with your meat. Sliced radish same thing. Service was okay. Take order. Bring order. There were dipping sauces placed in front of us but no explanation given which I thought lacking in terms of service. And while they were steady in terms of refreshing grill plates and clearing dishes we did have to wave down for more water which is a pet peeve of mine. The place is pretty standard in terms of decor. Dark wood. They sorta have two sides with one having a long section of grill tables used for large parties like 20. Surrounding them were almost bar lounge chairs with their own low rise grills meant more for two or three. We were in a normal booth. Parking seems daunting at first but they have spots behind. Don't park at the Denny's or Shogun next door or you'll get towed. Would I visit again? Yes though my doctor will shake his finger at me for it.

    Kelly W.

    Can always rely on kogi to be there. Nothing better than ending (or starting?) your night with the late night happy hour. AYCE for $28.99, decent selection of meats, endless banchan, no complaints. Always like coming with a big group. Loveeeee kogi

    Kimchi fried rice, potato salad
    Michaela I.

    Went for the lunch special and it was much more pleasant compared to last time I went. The menu was more limited, but that the basics you would get at kbbq. My favorite thing was the kimchi fried rice, something I haven't seen at other kbbq spots. The staff was attentive and friendly. Overall, i think as it compares to other kbbq spots, this place is okay, the regular menu pricing with the menu selections you have available are smaller. I think this place seems to shine moreso for their late night specials/drinks, which isn't for me, but i can see the appeal.

    Maya H.

    The meat is okay.. the fondue is awesome!! The corn cheese, egg, and kimchi is delicious. You have to order the side dish like kimchi separate. They don't give it to you automatically. The drinks is pretty good. I order monster with soju and hot green tea. The place is pretty spacious with lots of seat. Service is pretty quick but we also went when they first open. At the end of our dinner, the server was looking at the pos and not paying attention to where he was walking. He accidentally kick my leg really hard and we heard a loud crack. I just had a knee replacement surgery. The pain was intense and I started to sweat so my daughter took me outside. The waiter asked if I was okay but I was in so much pain. I just wanted to go outside before I started saying something I would regret. My doctor called to check on my knee and was concerned by my pain being worse after it was kicked at the restaurant. They did an x ray and discovered the healing scar tissue cracked from the impact, and my doctor informed me my pain would be more intense and the healing process would extended by it. I hope the staff look up when they are walking and be more careful around guest.

    Pedro G.

    Kogi BBQ never disappoints! I decided to go for my birthday dinner and not to brag but everything from the dining experience, customer service and the food (of course) did not disappoint. We showed up not long after they opened on a Wednesday so there wasn't a wait. Decided to do their regular AYCE. My favorite cuts of meat are their bulgogi, marinated bone in short rib, and the prime brisket. My go-to sides without fail are favorite the corn cheese, salad, pickled raddish, and their kimchi pancake. Waiters are attentive and change the roasting plates a few times throughout the meal. If in the Kearny Mesa area, visit Kogi if you're looking to try some delicious Korean barbecue.

    Ben H.

    This place gets packed and chaotic fast. It's super loud, cold afffff, and slow, with hit or miss meats and sides. If you're patient, happy hour can save you a few bucks, but otherwise it's kind of a grind. Beef Belly: Get Easily my favorite. Tender, flavorful, and cooked up nicely. The rest of the meats and sides were whatever. Some sides come out in weird portions or cut strangely. They're also not self-serve, so you have to ask for everything which slows things down. It's seriously loud in here. Like, yelling across the table loud. If you've got soft spoken people in your group, it's going to be rough. The place is also freezing and super drafty, so bring a jacket... but just know that jacket is going to end up smelling like smoke and meat by the end. Service is slow and inconsistent. Best move is to order your meats all at once instead of waiting between rounds. Food: 6/10 Atmosphere: 3/10 Service: 4/10 Value: 5/10

    Large disgusting cow intestines

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    15 days ago

    The order size is generous so one order of meat allows 3-5 people enjoy. Setting is nice clean, good music, and the staff was friendly.

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    Junghyun J.

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    3 months ago

    Best Korean BBQ Hands down in San Diego, food quality, price, ambience, we love this place!

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    1 month ago

    my favorite place to go to! the food is always so yummy and the service is amazing! definitely recommend

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    Kogi BBQ Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kogi BBQ

    What are the days, time and price of happy hour ayce?

    Do kids eat at adult price?

    Kids 10 and under are half price

    Are you open on Labor Day? Normal hours?

    Does Kogi accept Apple Pay?

    Yes

    Are reservations required? If so, how does someone go about on making a reservation (todays date is April 7, 2021)?

    Reservations are not required when I went there, and call them to make reservations. Any korean bbq you want to make reservations or you might stand outside for 2 hours waiting for a seat. Save some time give them a call.

    Is there currently indoor dining or outdoor dining?

    Both

    Why can reserve seat using Yelp? You guys never pick up the phone

    Reservations were allowed when it first opened up but now they get too many customers who order chicken at a kbbq so no hahaha

    Are they doing outdoor dinning still? Coming from Miami and need a place to have dinner with wifey?

    Are they still open for dine in?

    Yes. They have indoor and outdoor seating.

    Can I make reservations on Yelp?

    Yes, when it is available. I did it successfully a month ago. Then, a couple of weeks ago, the option didn't show up on Yelp. When we arrived, we were turned away. They weren't able to accomodate additional customers because the seating was… 

    Will you accommodate 10 people groups?

    Is there outdoor dining (with a grill for self-cooking)?

    Yes there is outdoor seating with heat lamps

    What time does Kogi open/close now? And do they have happy hour still?

    Yes. Happy hour starts at 9 pm

    Are they accepting cash payment here during Covid?

    Are they back to normal Hours? Or still opens at 6pm?

    I went just last week and they were open at 5pm!

    Do they serve lettuce?

    Yes they have salad with their own dressing

    Are they open for dining in?

    San Diego county is outside dining or to go orders only. I can't say for certain, but based off this info I'd wager Kogi is currently not dine in.

    What's the party limit? Thanks

    It says that happy hour is after 9pm. But I thought San Diego had a 8pm curfew. So is that information on the happy hour correct or did happy hour changed and they just didn't update it on here?

    I think the curfews are only in specific cities, not throughout all of San Diego. But yes happy hour still starts at 9

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    Buga Korean BBQ

    Buga Korean BBQ

    4.3
    (2.6k reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$$

    Buga is my absolute favorite KBBQ spot in SD! They get everything right, from the appetizers to…read morecorn cheese. Me and my friends highly enjoy this place as our go-to spot, the meat quality is great and so is the service. I would highly recommend this spot to anyone looking to get KBBQ.

    Buga offers 4 AYCE menu options: A ($45.99), B ($39.99), C ($34.99), and Happy ($27.99). We chose…read morethe A menu because beef tongue is always one of my go-to meats whenever I eat KBBQ. Unfortunately, the beef tongue was the biggest letdown of the night. It was dry and seemed like it wasn't very fresh. However, the ribeye, beef short rib, and rib fingers were all good and ended up being my favorite meats of the evening. The biggest issue was the service. We came on a busy Saturday night, and while I understand weekends get hectic, the service was painfully slow. Our server never seemed to be in much of a rush, even with a packed restaurant. Since you're only allowed to order 4 plates of meat at a time, the long waits between rounds meant we spent more time waiting than eating. We also had to ask twice for a grill change, and it still took a long time before he actually returned with a grill change. By the time our next round of meat arrived, we were already getting full, which really took away from the all-you-can-eat experience. What made this visit even more disappointing is that I've eaten here before, and it used to be one of my favorite KBBQ spots. I celebrated my birthday here last year, and it was hands down one of the best KBBQ meals I've had. This visit just didn't come close to that experience. I'm hoping this was just an off night. I know Buga is capable of much better, but based on this experience, I can only give it 3 stars.

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    Signature Combo, the best
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    Friend's House Korean

    Friend's House Korean

    4.0
    (1.4k reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    I've been wanting to come here for awhile and today is the day. Went on a Saturday afternoon and…read moresurprisingly there was parking. If you know Convoy you already know how difficult parking is. 5/5 We were seated right away once we got in the restaurant. The customer service here is seriously amazing. Staff kept coming back for water and refilled our soup and kept making sure we were good :) 5/5 I love the interior with the wood and the patio seating. There is plenty of seating 5/5 The food is soooo good! We got a mixture of dishes. Army stew, kimichi fried rice, grilled pork, and bibimbap. 5/5 Everything is sooooo good here! I'd recommend it.

    Nov 9, 2024 It's…read morebeen 6 years since I ate here. I came with a friend, and saw I ate here before with the Asian Foodies MeetUp. I feel the same way, the food is expensive, and portions small. I ordered grilled mackerel, but it cost $20 for two fillets and a bowl of rice. Mackerel is just about the cheapest of fishes, sells for $2.29 a lb at Zion Market. The taste of the mackerel wasn't very exciting, I couldn't taste the grill flavor, and I wish they put some marinate on it. The dish I really wanted is Beef Bulgogi (but I like pork better) but it cost $27 and I couldn't bring myself to order it, too expensive. My friend ordered dumplings for about $14, but I did not taste them. My friend only ordered dumplings, which I did not taste. I come to the same conclusion as my previous visit, 6 years before. Not coming back ! Too many other places on Convoy St to try.

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    Interior
    Interior
    Spicy pork plate
    Spicy pork plate
    Friend's House

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    Friend's House
    Manna Heaven BBQ

    Manna Heaven BBQ

    4.3
    (4.8k reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$$

    Being from San Diego, Manna Heaven BBQ is one of those spots…read moreI've been coming to for years whenever I'm craving Korean BBQ. Came back over the weekend and saw they remodeled the place, it looks great! The food and service are still on point. Good selection of meats, solid side dishes, and everyone is always super attentive. I've never had a bad experience here. Pro tip: We only waited about 10 minutes for a table for two. If the line is long, there's a spot across the street where you can grab a beer or drink while you wait for the text.

    For Korean BBQ, Manna BBQ really sets the standard. The bar is high, and after the remodel the…read moreentire place feels refreshed without losing what made it great in the first place. The updated decor looks clean, modern, and welcoming. What always stands out to me is the service. The staff is incredibly attentive and efficient without making it feel forced. Water gets refilled constantly, grills are swapped out before they get too burnt up, and food comes out quickly after ordering. It keeps the whole experience smooth and enjoyable. The quality of the food is also consistently solid. Everything tastes fresh, the marinades are flavorful without being overwhelming, and portions are fair. I also appreciate that they're accommodating with portion requests instead of making it complicated. Even the smaller details stand out here. Their sides are genuinely good, especially the steamed egg and rice paper. You can tell there's a difference in quality compared to a lot of other KBBQ spots. And ending the meal with the ice cream dessert option is just a nice touch that rounds everything out perfectly. Overall, it's just one of those places that consistently delivers a really good experience every time I go.

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    Manna Heaven BBQ
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    Kogi BBQ - korean - Updated August 2026

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