My experience was AWFUL. The service was horrific, the worst I have ever experienced. After entering and waiting to be seated, a lady was sitting staring at us, and then pointed to the table directly across from her. She gave us the menus and left to go in the back room. WE had to call the lady back to place our order. Not once did she ask how the food was, and after 10 minutes, she called from the back room and asked if we were done. She then gave us the bill. After the service we experienced, it was reasonable to leave no tip, because there was no really service. (I know people can say, that you go the food and that is a service, however if that was the case I would have just ordered out.) We left the restaurant, and two seconds later she was coming after us, yelling to come, because there was something wrong with the bill. She said we left out 7 dollars, "you need to pay for service". I will NEVER go back there again. read more

Was going to the Thai food nearby but it was closed. We went to this place which turned out to be a very poor decision. Typical Korean appetizer was not fresh. Fried dumpling was okay but kimchi in the pancake is the worst I've ever had. I had bibimbap for main course. It was mediocre-chicken and veggie with teriyaki source. No surprise but at lease much better than all the appetizers. Service was slow. Space is narrow and uncomfortable. 90 degree outside and AC is hardly working. It was Saturday at 1 and we were the only group dining in. Everything went wrong with this place. Any chain fast food would be better. read more

Giant bowl of pretty good Ramen Korean style choice of meat chicken beef or spicy pork it would be nice if they offered a double portion of noodles for the size of the bowl and a real Asian style soup spoon instead of a plastic spoon from the 7-11 you get pickles with every meal. The menu looks good and the place I'd filled with regular locals so I'm guessing the food isn't bad either. read more

Little Pusan - Spicy Ramen Special @ Little Pusan Korean Maynard, MA - Korean Near Me - Maynard, Massachusetts

See all

The dolsot bibimbab is consistently delicious, as well as the kimchi soup and pancakes. I see some Yelpers complaining about the owner, and the service at Little Pusan. What, do you think they are there to hold your hand, and help you decide what to order? I'm just kidding...They're very nice people -- I really appreciate having delicious Korean food as an option in Maynard. read more

As a korean, I would have to say the foods were terrible. Pork bulgogi was served shredded, and unmarinated. I thought someone attempted to make this dish for the first time. They gave me two slices of kimchi in a side dish which is unrefillable. You can go to any other korean restaurants (even ones at rural areas) and will get more than that. read more

Nasty...I'm sorry, but it's true. The service is slow, the food is gross. Don't bother going, it's a waste of your time and money, trust me. I went with my mother a while ago, and she hated it too. The thing with her though, is that she eats EVERYTHING. All vegetables, all kinds of things from many different cuisines. And she hated this place too. Just don't go. If you do, you'll regret it. read more

I think its a cute place for many occasions dates, friends family alone, etc. The food was very fresh and just the amount of flavor, spice etc, love the kimchi pancakes, bimbap even lucked out and gotten sushi there and was made pretty and promptly. I like how the owner is not sickingly friendly, herself and actually quite amusing once you get talking to her not to mention was very helpful my first time eating there when I didnt have a clue what I was doing and not to mention humor-ful when I would mis-pronounce things. Its nice how chopsticks are so predominant there as well and in a pretty box that she'll not hesitate to close if you forget :). I will go back there again and was glad It was boyfriends 1st Korean restaurant. The prices are also very reasonable for someone with a fixed income/ college student. read more

Do not get takeout from here, I really did not enjoy the food. The dumplings were extremely greasy and none of it tasted fresh. I was really looking forward to trying this place but was really disappointed. read more

Definitely not authentic Korean. Was expecting so much more given the owner herself is Korean. Tasteless, no spice, horrible bulgogi and bimbop. Really wanted to love this place. read more

Awesome Korean food cooked by a literal Korean grandmother. Tried about 10 things, all quite good. Also bought some tofu from the fridge behind the counter for $2.50. read more

I feel sorry for the granny whom runs the restaurant but it was really terrible experience. Went there and ordered bulgogi for lunch, and all that I am going to say is that I have never had any bulgogi worse that this. The portion was small, beef wasn't marinated well, mixed grain rice was over steamed, pre-dish kimchi and cucumbers weren't spiced up to the right flavor, black beans were neither salty nor sweet hence ended up plain chewy and the Brussels sprouts had a wired seafood flavor...every time I tried something new it was another disappointment. Maybe the Macdonalds across the street would be a better option next time. read more

Got takeout here to try it out - tested the standards: bibimbap, jap chae, kalbi. Unfortunately, we were underwhelmed. No panchan was included, which wasn't a big deal, but the dishes just didn't taste that great. The jap chae noodles were stuck together, the kimchi tasted off, and the galbi was so-so in flavor. The bibimbap was slightly better than the others. read more

We ordered the following Seaweed salad - was good Kimchee pancakes - not good, batter did not seem fully cooked. Pork Bulgogi on sizzling hot plate - meat was dry, overcooked Beef chap Che - beef was dry and tough, not much flavor. Owner was nice but service was mediocre, but this could be overlooked if the food was good. Overall the biggest complaint was the poor quality of the meat and its preparation. The cost of the meal with tip was $50 for the 2 appetizers and main courses. I will try to find a good Korean restaurant to erase this unpleasant memory. read more

This place is gross. I went there once and I will never go back. The food is gross, but what do you expect from the amount of money you're paying for it. I couldn't understand the waitress and she couldn't understand me. We must be mortal enemies. (just joking.) do not go here U want Asian food go to fugakyu for japenese or lotus blossom or lotus flower for Chinese and japenese buffet. Lotus blossom and fugakyu are in Sudbury. Oriental delight is an Asian buffet in Maynard with good dessert and good ice cream. Lotus flower is in wayland or something read more

I love it. And I echo Mike G's words ... " Little Pusan is less restaurant, and more sitting in a mom's kitchen. The vibe is wholesome, and unpretentious. Don't expect traditional 'restaurant waitstaff experience', because son, this ain't it. Get in the mindset that you're a guest in a Korean grandmother's house, and not in a restaurant. " ... and it is the BEST !!! Arturo PS she is a stickler for what is good; unsatisfied by the quality of bean sprouts commercially available, so she grows her own !!! and among other things she makes her own Kim-chi, dumplings (just get a "Half order" or 4), etc. read more

Couldn't believe the fatty pieces of pork I was served. Literally 80% chewy inedible fat and very little protein. The place has a nice mom's kitchen feel however I think mom is a little crazy with some of the food she allows her chef to serve. The price was higher than normal and tbh I'd rather just go to McDonald's. I was looking to try out some authentic tasty Korean food but what I was served wasn't that good. Maybe other stuff on the menu was good but not what I got, won't be going back. read more

This place had it's ups and downs. Would I go back there? Probably not, to be honest. The first plate you get is the one that is divided (not sure what they call it) but there was only on thing I liked on it... the broccoli. The dumplings were pretty decent and my mild ramen was really good. The chicken was too hot to even taste any flavor and the pancakes were decent as well. What got me was the service there. She didn't really listen to what we were asking and just said... "What type of meat do you want?" In a very sharp, irritated tone when we were asking how they cook the egg for the K-4 Bibim Bop. Anyways, it was a good experience but not for me for the future. read more

First Korean place I've been to in New England since moving here 5 years ago, and it did not disappoint. Ordered take out of dumplings and calbi to share with my husband and it was enough food for two good lunches. Both dishes were flavorful, veggies were marinated in a yummy sauce, and Calbi was sweet and tender like I remember from growing up in Hawaii where I indulged in it regularly! Will definitely go back for more. read more

My boyfriend and I attempted this place despite the bad reviews because I have a pretty high tolerance for less than stellar service, and we thought we'd try something new. We arrived at 5 for dinner and the place was empty--even the owner wasn't there. The smell of the place wasn't encouraging but we persevered and took our seats. We were brought water that tasted off. When the waitress/owner showed up, she was annoyed that we weren't ready to order yet. She returned less than a minute later to see if we were ready to order, but we weren't, and my boyfriend was reading the blurb about the restaurant that is included in the menu. Since we were the ONLY people in the restaurant and there was no one on the streets, we figured we could take our time. This annoyed the waitress and she told my boyfriend to "order first, then read!" Then she started to bitch about how the place gets really busy and we basically needed to order now or else, like she was expecting a mob of customers to suddenly appear. They didn't. She gave us so much attitude that we decided to get up and leave. We ate at El Hupil instead, which had great service and food. We walked by Little Pusan later that night and saw a total of 3 people in the restaurant. A little bit later, we saw the owner sitting at a table in an otherwise empty restaurant. Good thing she rushed us when she did, because she sure had a lot of business that night. Do yourself a favor and give your patronage to a local restaurant that will treat you with consideration and respect. read more

Terrible service (even though my fiance is Korean, she barely acknowledged us) and DISGUSTING food. I could barely eat it. This is NOT good Korean food at all. Even with sudden cravings for Korean food, we are much more likely to drive into Cambridge or Ayer than to ever step foot into this place again. It's gross. read more

My parents first told me about this restaurant a few years ago and called it one of their local favorites but neither had been in a while. Last night the three of us went here for dinner but we were extremely surprised at how rude their wait staff (well, waitress) was. My father has "mechanic hands," you know, they always look dirty even though they're clean because his work is basically ingrained into his hands. The waitress made a rude comment about him "not touching" all of the chop sticks when he was trying to reach for two. After a meal of less than pleasant service she threw our check on the table. When we paid, she counted the money in front of us. Now, this places DOES have pretty good food (at a somewhat undesirable rate) but I was so put off by their behavior that I won't ever go back or recommend it to anyone again. I took the entire experience more harshly than my parents who simply laughed it off...but come on! read more

Lady berated us for a tip . Very rude . Kept hovering and yelling . Pathetic . Not worth it

This is without a doubt my favorite restaurant in the area. The little old Korean lady who owns and runs the place is a stickler when it comes to serving authentic Korean food. She makes her own Kimchee and everything else. She does NOT go to the asian stores to buy prepared foods like most other places. All of her dishes are served in heavy, piping hot cast iron bowls or platters to create the sizzle and carmelization that is so essential. Rice gets that crispy exterior and browning that is yummy. I always get a pot of the Plum Tea and usually it has slices of plum at the bottom which are a little gift from heaven at the end. I am particularly infatuated with Calbi - beef short-ribs with scallions, onions and special Calbi sauce which is handmade - none of this jar stuff that you get elsewhere. The Ginger Chicken doesn't sound that exciting but it is. If you have ever been to Asia, you will understand how authentic Little Pusan is. Visiting the owner is like visiting my grandmother from the old country in her kitchen. If you go here expecting chain-food service you will be disappointed. Do me a favor, go to Chilli's and stay there. If you are a culinary adventurer, this place will hit the spot. Tasty, exotic, healthy, filling and inexpensive. For those complaining about the service, recognize that this is a two-person operation and the women who owns it is much older. She works 7 days a week and works her butt off. If you give good customer, she gives good service. My wife and I tried the Korean place in Ayer last weekend. They do provide a great assortment of pickled items before the meal but better overall than Little Pusan, not even close. Their Bibim Bop consisted of grey, lukewarm, teryaki flavored beef on a plate with no vegetables, no egg and a bowl of rice. No cast iron bowl for carmelization, no veggies, no egg, no flavor, no thanks. My wife and I noted the lack of flavor and excitement from the first bite. We both said, "not nearly as good as Little Pusan." read more

awesome korean food, all cooked by one old korean lady Chong. her bibimbop is really good, as well as other hot plates. she also has jars of kimchi that you can buy separately. restaurant has been in maynard for forever, when she wanted/tried closing & retiring, the whole town showed up to order from her one last time. The deal ended up falling through, so she's still going strong with a strong lunch takeout order. Her hours are limited since the pandemic, so definitely call ahead if you're gonna go read more

The menu is is extremely long and varied. Mrs. Chung is almost always present. She is a strong woman who is very persistent and has endured a lot of hard work (and does not suffer "unappreciative" customers easily). Chill out! The service is quick, and the dishes are served sizzling hot. Go first out with with Dolsot Bibibimbop, or sizzling fish, or stir-fried squid. Skip the "soup" stuff. Only place I know where you can get Korea beer. The food is excellent. It is a solid Korean restaurant. We go about once a month in the fall-spring. Yes, the decor is tattered (ever been to Korea to a medium level restaurant?). Yes, the aromas from the tiny kitchen inundate the place (torture when you are hungry). Our family has been going here since it was two prior owners-ago.The kimchee free appetizer is always a delight. Abandon the stainless steel chopsticks and walk up and get wooden ones. Go often and keep her in business. No, I am not a relative or neighbor. We are fortunate to have The Little Pusan. read more

We've had good experiences at this family-run Korean restaurant in downtown Maynard. Food has generally been very good, although, as noted by other reviewers, the service can be hit-or-miss. Get a dish in a heated stone bowl. This is one of a few places that we come back to every so often in Maynard. read more

Brutal. Not sure what these 2 star and above are used to eating, but if they like this place, i've got a bridge in brooklyn to sell them. Food - terrible. I've eaten Korean food my whole life, and this is hands down among the worst places in terms of food quality, freshness, flavor. Awful. The kimchi tasted like it had turned, the bulgogi was burned, and the rest of the banchan looked old. Service - the worst. Slow and rude. When we asked for white rice, we were told that 'no one eats that' - no one that is except SEVERAL BILLION PEOPLE'. She also forgot part of our order. Whatever, given the quality of the food, that's probably a positive. Location. Looks very rundown. Basically if you're desperate for korean food... Drive to another restaurant, bc you ain't going to find anything worthwhile here. read more

Like others, was hesitant to try it because I was a little intimidated by the owner. Finally tried it last Thursday--spectacular! We got the dumplings, my friend got the hot stone bibimbap, and I had the kimchi chigae. SO GOOD!!! Sure, the owner wasn't warm, but she wasn't mean, either. As we were leaving, she carried a plate of food past me to another customer. I asked what it was: Ginger Tofu. I went back a few days later with a different friend. The owner seemed friendlier. Her daughter and granddaughter were in (as they'd been on the previous visit). We talked with them. The owner is so happy when she's holding the baby. I ordered the Ginger Tofu, of course, and my friend (who'd said he didn't really like Korean food) tried the vegetarian Mapo Tofu. He was out of his mind with delight. Me too. As usual, the food arrived positively bubbling and roiling and steaming. And it was spicy and flavorful. Sensing we were unsure of whether to add small amounts of rice to the plate or what, the owner said, "Just dump the rice in!" so we did. A tip I got from other Yelp reviewers: Definitely grab the wooden chopsticks, not the metal ones at the table. And while the banchan is not the best I've ever had, it's still very good. All the food I've tried there has been spicy and fresh and delicious, and my new goal is to eat my way through the menu. If you're afraid to go in because you think the decor is lacking or the owner is scary, get over that and GO TRY IT TODAY. You won't regret. It's spectacular Korean food made by one very hardworking woman who knows what she's doing. read more

great service and we wanted to love it. But the food was really just repulsive. How I miss Woo Lae Oak in Chicago.

A note on the service from the crazy owner lady: If you're a regular and she likes you she's great. That doesn't mean she stops being crazy. And where else are you going to get Korean food out in the middle of nowhere? read more

Food is great but the woman running the place is very rude and almost never brings water when you ask for it (stating bluntly that she doesn't profit from it). Good food but BAD experience read more

I was disapointed with the quality and authenticity of the Korean food here. The food seemed Americanized and certainly didn't remind me of my mom's cooking or restaurants I've eaten in Seoul (or NYC/NJ). I think the problem is that the restaurant makes the Korean food with what they can find in the grocery stores and doesn't seek out authentic ingredients. For example, the bulgogi (Korean marinated beef) tasted like a steak bought from Shaw's, coarsely cut and marinated, instead of buying the right cut of beef. The owner claimed the kimchi was from NYC, but did not taste very good. I ordered several different dishes and they were all mediocre. I've noticed the other reviewers have had poor service here. I can't comment on the service because we were the only ones in the restaurant and I spoke Korean with them so that may have improved my service. I'm hoping there are better Korean restaurants in the area. I would not recommend this restaurant for authentic Korean cuisine. read more

The food was very good. However, the customer service was awful. The owner was very rude. She interrupted my mom as she was asking a question about the dish and she very rudely said "what kind of meat!?" We felt very rushed too. I had to told her what dish I wanted. She goes "here you will have this. Almost the same" I would never ever go back or recommend this place. read more

Honestly for the price and location, I don't understand the negative reviews. For a Korean place this is very good for vegetarians. Service is perfectly fine; I don't find the server/ owner a problem. Good food at decent prices. read more

This is real deal Korean food. Tell Chong you want to try her ginger chicken on a hot stone dish. Just try it.. youll agree.

I have been here many times. The food is consistently flavorful and interesting. I think the owner is a bit misunderstood. She is not overtly friendly, but once she realized that we came frequently, she extended herself. Everyone gets free kimchi vegetable platter upon arrival. Dulsot bimbimbap and pork bulgogi are favorites. Just about everything is delish, including scallion pancake and soups. read more

The food/ service was horrible. The restaurant is dirty with clutter everywhere. The owner/server was on the rude side. The kimchee pancakes had more dough than kimchee. Server forgot two of our dishes (one for me and the other for my daughter). The Korean style sushi was sloppy.... fell apart before it went into my mouth. And tasted just as bad as it looked. The kalbi was tough and had more onions than kalbi beef. The meat tasted old.. maybe it was in the freezer way too long. I thought this Korean restaurant was going to be authentic with its cute name and Mom and Pop style restaurant.... boy was I wrong. If you want good Korean food.. go to Seoul Kitchen in Westford, Westborogh, or In the city near Allston. read more

Having been to Korea and eating Korean food for 25+ years now, I'd have to say this is the worst korean food I have ever had. We both had the dolsot bibmbap, I had the chicken, my BF the tofu. My chicken tasted like it was old and had been microwaved, the egg tasted almost rotten and the rest of the dish was meh. We eat Korean food weekly and thought why not give this a try. I learned my lesson. read more

One of my favorite foods, and a Korean standard is Bibim Bop. I tried it at Little Pusan, and it didn't withstand the test. Relatively flavorless, and the beef in it was inedible. There are much better Korean places around. read more

My husband and I drove an hour to check this place out. It was well worth it. We lived in Korea for three years and we've been looking for a place that is authentic and not dressed up for American taste. This was the best place we've found so far. Everything from the presentation to the decor to the food made us feel like we were back in Korea. And I disagree with the reviews that the lady is rude. She was really nice to us. We will definitely be back! read more