Standard local style take out Korean food. Not bad but given the choices we have here in Hawaii not great either. Really disappointed in what was certainly microwaved bbq chicken and kalbi. Yummy's and of course Gina's is a much better choice in this genre, given the customer service here. Maybe it's just the "Mama" part that threw me off, my mamma is nice so I thought Mama Woo would be nice too. Marginal restaurant, although I thought that I might have gone back out of convenience, but their customer service needed some work, so in the end that changed my mind about the place. Mama Woo Kinda Mean I asked if I could take a seven month old Honolulu magazine that I was reading while eating lunch. It had some articles about schools that I wanted to share with my wife. Mama Woo was not being a nice mamma and waved me off, refusing me and was really dismissive about it. They could have made a return customer out of me with just one small inconsequential kind gesture, it probably wasn't even their magazine to begin with. To their credit, they said thank you when I left, however it seemed to me like they had been reading these reviews and thought that good service means be as rude as you'd like but if you say thank you then all is fine. It certainly is, I am fine with never eating here again. read more

Mama Woo's BBQ - Microwaved bbq chicken and kalbi,the kalbi cut was good, but no better than Yummy's, and not even close to Gina's quality. - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Cute little Korean BBQ. The lady who works there, works there EVERYDAY. Spicy chicken wings, AWESOME. Meat jun, great. I really like her meat jun sauce. The panchan (sides) are sooo good. I like that it's not all cookie cutter typical Korean BBQ sides. Sure she has the required Kim chee, bean sprouts, and cabbage, but there's all these other panchan that she rotates in and out. The potato salad is one of my favorites, and I generally don't even like potato salad. I go here pretty often, and so does my mom. I would recommend it for some post-surfing grinds! read more

Mama Woo's BBQ - Hamburger steak & katsu combo - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Had the combination kalbi and spicy chicken wings plate, dining partner had the kim chee stew special. Lots of rice, four side dishes which I didn't care for, kalbi was tasty but only two thin slices and three scrawny chicken wings with so so taste. Dining partner enjoyed the kim chee stew which is more like a soup. On a side note, for those who like their soda with crushed ice, this place has it. read more

There are so many great Korean places in Hawaii, it is sometimes difficult to decide on a place to go. If you are looking for the best value and tastiest Korean BBQ, look no further. They have the best fried eggplant that I have ever tasted. They prepare the eggplant in sticks, coat them in batter, then deep fry, like a french fry. Afterwards, these eggplant sticks are coated in a "Tengu-type" or Teriyaki sauce. Wow! It is so good, i could eat this by itself. Mama Woo also features a great meat jun and their korean style potatoes are soft and tasty. Everything else is average to slightly above average. read more

Only my second time here after a not so love at first bite with their spicy squid plate (afraid Palama still takes the honors in that category) but getting back to my lunch of Mama's Special (bulgogi, kalbi, bbq chicken, spicy wing and mandoo + 4 sides), I am still left with a big ol' question mark. Not sure if it was the battered out chicken wing, leathery bulgogi, oh so soggy mandoo, stiff chicken that showed more pink flesh than I care for in a bbq? On the plus side, their side selection is very fresh and refreshingly different (dukbokki one day and mustard greens instead of the standard choy sum) and their mainstay cucumber kimchi is extra crunchy yet not too sweet. With all these good sides, maybe their bibimbap will be a winner? Guess I'll find out on my next visit. read more

Mama Woo's BBQ - Spicy squid stir-fry - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

AMAZING LOCAL KOREAN FOOD! ! I always come here to satisfy my Korean cravings. Just had the bi bim BAP from there and it was delicious. Veggies are always fresh. The service is really good too, mama woo is very nice and courteous. Oh, their fountain drinks are also rated 5 stars!!!! So crispy read more

Mama Woo's BBQ - Bi BIM bap #foodporn - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Ordered the kalbi plate and a meat jhun/mandoo combo. The food was tasty but the portions could have been bigger for the price. The kalbi had the equivalent of 2 slabs, which for 16 bucks is kinda expensive. Most places at least give 3 slabs. Even the meat jhun pieces were small. I like that they have a good variety of sides but I might check out my other restaurant options because I'm more of a portions kind of guy. read more

I liked their Bibimbap and Gnochi/Toppoki- Friday special. Small parking. For pick up, no problem. Cash Only!!! YELP 365 - 168/365 read more

Mama Woo's BBQ - soup. - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

One of the best Korean foods on the island. They even have definitely check them out! Where else can you get kim Chee pancakes as a side.

Mama Woo's is well reviewed. I like this place because they have brown rice. LoL, I've been 'trying' to eat better. Mama serves you normal Local Korean BBQ. Price is fair. The food is tasty. 4 choices of vegetables. Standard. G read more

Mama Woo's BBQ - Mama got your back! - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Sorry for just 2 stars, but the 2 star rating is for "Meh. I've experienced better" and that is how I feel after going there - twice. As far as Korean fast food goes, their mandoo isn't that good - not too filled up, and only a few on a LOT of rice - seemed like it was cooked earlier. I had the sides which were okay, but I thought the pricing was high for so little food. My plate lunch looked sparse, especially since I was used to Gina's Barbeque in Kaimuki which had too much food sometimes. That was the first time I went to Mama Woo's, but thought that maybe I was being too critical or they were having a bad day. So, I went for the 2nd time with my daughter because she saw the place as we were driving on King Street and asked if it was good. I said that lots of people think so, giving the place the benefit of the doubt, and so we went in. I wasn't that hungry and figured that a veggie plate would suffice since I wasn't going to order mandoo. The server was the same woman, and I smiled at her, but just got a stare back. Okay, doesn't matter. Some people don't smile and maybe I tend to smile too much... My daughter ordered the barbeque chicken plate and I ordered a vegetarian plate (6 sides, no rice). For the sides, my daughter ordered fried eggplant, and the server put in 2 pieces, and the potato salad and potato wedges were added. Average to rather small sizes, I thought, and so my daughter wanted more fried eggplant, and ordered that as her 4th side, and the lady put in 3 more pieces. My sides were cabbage, cucumber kim chee, stringy looking eggplant, seaweed, won bok kim chee, and choi sum. The serving size of each was kind of small - but then remember, I was used to Gina's Barbeque (huge sides) and my earlier experience at Mama Woo's had small servings of sides too. As we waited for the barbeque chicken, a couple came in, and ordered 2 plate lunches. Since we were off to the side of the counter waiting, I watched as he ordered his sides, and his girlfriend ordered her sides. The server loaded up their plates with sides. He ordered friend eggplant, and she put a heaping pile on his plate, and I forget his other sides, but his servings were huge (like Gina's) and could barely fit the compartments. His girlfriend's plate was also filled with her sides, and that's when Aunty got kinda ticked off. The food is good (except for the mandoo). I wouldn't say exceptional, but it is good. However, I don't like places that don't treat customers equally. My husband thinks maybe she knew the couple that came in after me, but I don't think so - she was as unemotional with them as she was with us. So my husband said maybe because we were "girls", but to me, why should that make a difference, and our daughter looks like she can really eat a lot (and she does). So, Aunty is giving this place 2 stars for inconsistent serving sizes. Maybe to others it doesn't matter, but for me, I think people should be treated fairly, no matter how we look. If you do go, I hope they give you a lot, and I hope the lady behind the counter is having a better day. If skimpy servings and grouchiness don't appeal to you, go to Gina's instead, where everyone is treated the same friendly way and they pile on the food for about the same price as Mama. read more

Mama Woo's BBQ - Plenty of rice, double serving of fried eggplant, single serving potato salad, and 3 pieces of potato. - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I've never been here but the takeout food is pretty good. The chicken is flavorful, the kalbi is good and the bulgogi and meat jun are pretty good too. The sides are interesting--I'd prefer to stick to the normal sides other than the eggplant one. That thing was soooo good. The tofu side (that looks like a combination of crumbled cauliflower and feta cheese) was a little odd for me. Nothing bad but nothing good. The hot sauce thing is really good too. The only thing I don't really like is the mandoo. It's too bready for me. There's a fair amount of filling but it's the really thick mandoo skin so I prefer to pass on that. read more

Mama Woo I wanted to like you. Really I did. Promise. Your kim chee fried rice was a miss. Although I liked the salty sour bits of kim chee, the rest of the dish was mushy and tasteless. The 2 stars are really for the spicy fried chicken wings. They reminded me of Chicken Alice's on Kapiolani and were pretty ono. Hot, crispy, juicy, with a yummy shoyu sugar sauce. When I asked for a cup of water, I couldn't believe it costs $0.50. Really? And then when I asked for another napkin...sigh. Maybe this was an off day? read more

I don't crave Korean food all to much, but if I had to pick of a place to go for Korean take-out when the craving hits, I'd pick Mama Woo's. Plates are 8-10 bucks, packed with food. You can mix and match certain choices. You get 4 vegetable choices. Mama Woo introduced me to this eggplant thing she has as a veggie choice. OMG! SO GOOD!. There's a 'specials' board on the left side of the room when you enter. Don't forget to check that out before making your meal choice. She's always been sweet to our group. Keep in mind our group roll in a pack of 5+, and we're pretty loud. I don't know if it's just timing (we go around 7PM), but there's never a line (beside us of course) and always chairs & tables available. She's even gone around passing out pieces of Korean sushi. Oh man, more food added to my plate. What is a girl my size to do? Eat more:) read more

See all

This place deserves no stars. Called in an order this morning to be ready at 6:00 pm. Well, it took until almost 7:00. Walk in orders came and went while sitting right in front of the cashier. 25 minutes after I paid she says they're working on my order. 25 minutes later the food comes out. Too bad I paid for the food before it was ready. The quality of the pan of Kal bi was embarrassing. Gristly fat and CHEWY. This experience was so bad I actually called the manager, if that is in fact who took the call, after getting home to express displeasure with their establishment. "So sorry" was the response. We'll I'm sorry that they lost a bunch of customers. 13 people will not be ordering from there. I'm not a frequent yelp reviewer, nor do I enjoy leaving negative reviews for small businesses especially. But I felt the need to leave this review. If you're planning a party do not include Mama Woos. The food is not good and the employees ignorance and condescension makes it that much worse. Goodbye Mama Woo. read more

One of the better "fast food" take out Korean joints on the island. I come back for their specialty eggplant side. I also like how they don't water down the kochujang sauce. read more

We ordered the large family pack ton of food for the price!!!! Kal bi was thick and tender!! Perfectly cooked too!!! Meat jun was awesome too!!!! Lots of side selection.... parking is a challenge however well worth it! Just a reminder, they only take CASH ONLY!!! read more

Their food was delicious and they were very nice. Very good portion sizes and their sides were very yummy as well! Definitely coming back read more

Mama Woo's BBQ - Meat Jun & spicy chicken wing mix plate & BBQ chicken plate - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

After JR's on waialae closed, I've been looking for a go-to place for Korean food--somewhere that has a family buisness feel and serves food that is a couple steps up from Yummys. I found it at Mama Woo's. I ordered the meat jun/kalbi plate with seaweed, sweet shoyu potatoes, fried eggplant and fishcake. Everything was pretty darn good, even the meat jun sauce (which I'm picky about) was good. I like that they have different combo options and that the menu is straight forward. The lunch plates are a little pricey, but I think the quality of food is worth it. :) I will definitely be back. read more

Mama Woo's BBQ - Kalbi/meat jun combo - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Mama Woo's BBQ is conveniently located on King Street so you can stop in, order and take out and be on your way. It's more of a take out place anyway since there isn't much room in the dining area. It's hard to screw up Korean food (although that's bit me in the butt before saying that) but Mama Woo's is no exception. I don't think I've ever had anything that did me wrong here. It's similar to those other fast food Korean diners but there's something about them that makes it taste better and I find Mama Woo much more generous for the prices you pay here. I especially go after the BBQ chicken and meat jun, although I have toyed with the Tofu soup before and it's not bad at all. Recommend you hitting Mama Woo's up when you want a quick and tasty dinner at an affordable price. They give a lot of food so I end up sharing one plate anyway. read more

Best mandoo soup on island. Perfect for anyone who wants a filling meal thats tasty and reasonable. Give this little place a try. Perfect for cool 72 degree nights in Hawaii! read more

Got the combo plate (meat jun &bbq chicken) and spicy squid! Food was super tasty and the sides were excellent!

The latest visit was Christmas Eve. We ordered just a medium pan of meat jun. It was just for a home dinner but I wanted leftovers to eat later. Portion is always generous and always consistent. We usually order combination plates which is very good too. The owner is always friendly and so are the workers. The prices are very competitive and they have a wide variety of sides to choose from. read more

My favorite neighborhood Korean food place. I like the specie chicken wings. mandu, Meat jun is the Bomb. Saba. And they have brown rice. The food comes out quick ! Parking on the street. read more

I was craving korean food and it was about my lunch time, so I head over here because i've seen it and heard it was good! I went in and I already knew i wanted Bar-b-que chicken of course... so I asked for a mini at the register and she was telling me it cost $1 more for a regular plate so i ended up getting that, lol. it comes with 4 sides so I chose... cabbage, potatoes,daikon & their specialty kim chee cucumber!! all so delicious and filling. The chicken is so soft and has a lot of flavor, goes perfectly with the sides! it had a fair amount of rice in it which is always nice and i drank it with a small coca cola. The workers there are soo nice and welcoming! not sure who "mama" is but id like to meet her and try much more from here. good thing im right down the street!! read more

Mama Woo's BBQ - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I recently discovered this little gem. I'm already hooked. We've tried several items and have not been disappointed. The lady is super friendly as well. read more

One of the go to fav for local Korean food. Can't go wrong with their Bi Bim Bap, Meat Jun and Kalbi. Cash only restaurant located on the Mauka side of King Street past McCully. read more

THE BEST KOREAN FOOD I'VE HAD IN AWHILE. I ordered the BBQ chicken and meat jun combo about $15 well worth the money. Lots of super tasty side dishes that you can tell are very well made. The portion size was enough for dinner and leftovers. I also like that the food doesn't taste oily. Chicken was grilled and tender. Meat jun was made with better meat than most other places. Usually meat jun I've had is super chewy but this one is soft. I'll be back. Only downfall is it's hard to find parking around dinner time. read more

Really great Tasting quality plate lunch. Perfect portion sizing and very friendly staff. Love coming here

Why do you not allow me to have the same side dish, twice or three times or just all of the same side dish? The selection is heaped up high and you have another container in the frig..... Its like the side dish nazi(soup nazi comparison here). If I get to choose four sides, but not the same side twice then you should post the restriction! Other Korean places similar in set up to yours graciously allow their customers to have two, three of all four of the same side. You need to think about your competitive positioning here.... read more

BEST MAC SALAD ON THE ISLAND. Idk about you guys but I like my mac salad with a bit more mayo than normal. It has the perfect soft but not too soft texture and flavor too! Also the eggplant tempura (not sure if this is what its called) is amazing and the kimchi isn't too spicy (perfect for a non-Korean like me lol). The portion is big and their BBQ chicken is also amazing! Mama woo is also super nice and friendly whenever she sees me walking through the door. read more

Very good food but the eggplant side dish is my favorite. Very good food and service was great too.

Excellent. Highly recommended. Had the special and the zucchini jun. Friendly and helpful staff and willing to accommodate special orders. Good sized portions. Good value for the price. Go here read more

Mama Woo's BBQ - Special. Get this, you won't be disappointed - Korean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Mama woo's is the usual place I go to now to get my korean plate lunch. I read about this place years ago on yelp. Since my office has moved a block away from this place, I frequent mama woo's at least once a week. The price is good, the food is good, I like the selection of veggie sides and mama's cooks her meats fast! I make my order, choose my veggies and 3-5 minutes later, my meat is done and I am out the door. read more

I ordered two family packs for a work lunch for approximately 15 people. The portion was very generous and everyone really enjoyed the food. My only negative was that I was not told over the phone when I ordered that they are cash only so when I arrived I had to walk across the street to a gas station atm to withdraw money, but this isn't at all a reason I wouldn't come back here. Parking can be a bit of a hassle though since the parking lot is small, but you can street park too. read more

Excellent food! We came here after a horrible service from another restaurant, where we weren't even served. The food here lifted our spirits! The staff here were so kind and friendly. Ono food!! We would definitely recommend this place! read more

I stopped by Mama Woo's on the recommended of some local firefighters and I was NOT disappointed. Although I didn't know what some of the food was, I forged ahead and ordered anyway, Their Korean BBQ (ok, THIS I was familiar with) was so flavorful, and had a great texture. Pretty much everything I dove in to was good. I enjoyed the flavors of everything I ordered, but not all of the textures. Next trip to Honolulu, I'll be stopping back and trying more delights. read more

Extremely small portions of meat and rice. The eggplant side dish they say is the 'house specialty' was terrible. Was like chewing on rubber. Very disappointed. read more

I've been eating here since her beginnings at HI Kai and just continue to support her. Food has been consistent throughout the years and owner is such a nice, thoughtful lady. So many times she's given a few extras on our plate and really is so generous. Also, she's featured different side veggies that I never tried before. Tasty Korean dishes! read more

Now I know what you are thinking..."Isn't it cash only?" Yes, yes it is. However, before you immediately discount it on that basis, it is definitely worth the effort and the forgoing of frequent flyer miles. Mama Woo's dishes up some great plates and some fantastic sides that keep me coming back for more. The meats are well done and not over-seasoned like some and over-cooked like others. The kalbi was flavorful and tender, the chicken was moist and charred nicely, the beef juicy. The flavors you have come to expect of the Korean plate lunch truly shines at Mama Woo's. Now, they can't possibly have good side dishes with good entrees right? That would defy the law of Korean establishments where they are known for their meats but not their sides or they are known for their sides and their meats are lacking. Well the kim chee was nicely flavored but not too spicy, the potato salad flavorful of egg and mayo while not coming across as mushy, the shoyu potato heavenly and the fried eggplant out of this universe. Now, I wasn't expecting much when a friend ordered it, thinking it would be a mushy mess of cold batter loosely hanging on for dear life to the eggplant. Yet, it is the complete opposite, well except it was cold. Anyway, the garlic flavor pops and keeps you eating them like potato chips. Don't skip the fried eggplant...oh wait, skip it if you happen to see me in the line behind you.... Service is quick and good, while being comfortable. Seating is available, yet you often find yourself leaving to take the grub home to the family and friends. Plates are served up rather quickly and the wait doesn't ever seem excessive. When it comes to plate lunches, it might be easy to keep going down King Street and hit up Gina's, but Mama Woo's is definitely not one to pass up! read more