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Mapo BBQ

3.5 (485 reviews)
PriceyKorean, Barbeque
Closed 11:00 am - 10:30 pm

Mapo BBQ Photos

Business Info

MAPO BBQ ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Mapo BBQ

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Amy M.

This place was recommended to me by my Korean friends. This place is small and the wait staff don't speak much English. We can for lunch and they had good deals. I got grill galbi with tofu stew for 20.00. The sides were good but not as plentiful as Galbi Ma. When ordering it was a little difficult as waitress did not understand us even with pointing at the actual menu item. The place was not full so the waitresses were doing some side work like prepping take out bags. Our meals were grilled in the kitchen and brought out to us in a hot platter. Service was gruff and whenever we needed something felt like we were bothering them. The food here is decent but the lack of service would stop me from Coming back in the future unless I am with someone that speaks Korean fluently.

Sharon L.

I've always heard so many good things about the food at Mapo, and finally had a chance to try their KBBQ! The interior of the restaurant is much smaller than I actually anticipated, and it's absolutely packed in there. We were able to get a table relatively quickly around 7:30pm, but we had others cut us in line, and some diners are really pushy here. For 4, we ordered 2 orders of the galbi (one unmarinated and one marinated), 1 pork belly, and 1 seafood pancake. The charcoal grills are famous for a reason - it's blazing hot even when they bring the coals over. One things for sure though - your clothes will smell smoky after dining here. Our waitresses were a bit pushy and aggressive, which given the prime dinner time, was a bit understandable but still overwhelming. We were expected to order pretty much within 3 minutes of sitting down. That being said though, the food is delicious. Banchan is SUPER generous here - with about 9-10 plates, lettuce wraps, garlic & jalapenos, 2 steamed eggs, and 2 stews. The beef is good quality, and the marinade was delish. Overall, this came out to about $48pp after tax and tip, which is not too unreasonable for KBBQ. I was SO full, even without rice. Would come back again, but probably at a less busy time.

Eunice Y.

Ahhh... I would love to love this place, but not only is the price higher than Korean BBQ places in Manhattan, I also witnessed them reusing lettuce. meat and banchans are all delicious though.

Natalie C.

Trekked to Flushing just to try Mapo and I'm so glad we did. This is definitely the most authentic, cozy experience. They seem to be most known for their unmarinated kalbi, since the ahjumma was pushing us to order that. And she was right- it's probably the best kalbi I've had in NYC/NJ area. The meat is super marbled and they really let it speak for itself. The marinated kalbi is also really good, it doesn't taste overly marinated, where it's too sweet/salty, it was still well-balanced. They also don't skimp on their ban-chan here, AT ALL! I felt like I was transported to Korea with the number of ban-chan, and the quality of it all was great too. Service is your average Korean restaurant, nothing to complain nor write home about. For a great meal, I would highly recommend!

Haemool Pajun - A Korean pancake (pajun) with green onions and other ingredients, partially eaten and placed on a white plate with tongs, on a red table. The pancake appears crispy and golden brown, with visible green onion pieces. A small portion has been removed, showing the interior texture. The setting suggests a restaurant environment, with a basket of lettuce visible in the background.
Samantha J.

Fast service. Staff were friendly. Ordered 2 orders of Kalbi and the seafood pancake. The honchon was good. Love the variety.

Amy J.

My experience at Mapo BBQ was confusing if I were to describe it in words, but I left feeling content and satisfied. This was my first time visiting Mapo BBQ. I came here w my boyfriend, and we were seated immediately. While the store was not packed, it had a decent amount of people inside, and the servers were booked and busy. We were seated, and it took up about 10 minutes to decide what we'd like to eat. We then spent about another 10 minutes waiting for someone to take our order. While we'd make eye contact constantly with the workers, no one approached us. My boyfriend had to really wave someone down before they finally paid us any attention. The service is extremely hit or miss here. While some workers were nice, others were extremely disengaged. I also wouldn't say that the nice servers were particularly nice either, they did what they needed to. Extremely straight to the point service. While we had high expectations for the meat, we were still pleasantly surprised. The portions sizes were much larger than what we expected to see, and what we normally pay for , for the standard price. My boyfriend and I ordered 2 meats from the charcoal grill section, and we struggled to finish between the two of us. The meat was extremely tender and soft. It had great flavor and there were so many side dishes to eat it with. I would say I've definitely had better eggs and tofu stew, those could use more work, but still a pleasant experience. We were pretty content with our experience. While the service was lackluster at best, the servers worked fast and efficiently. Definitely appreciated for when we are hungry and eager to eat. They get the job done, no frills attached. Definitely not the type of restaurant you'd come to for the service experience. We were extremely satisfied with the portion sizes, price, as well as the quality of food for everything. We would definitely be back. TLDR; servers get the job done, no frills attached, good food, prices and portion sizes. Recommended!

Mapo Dweji Kalbi
Patrick K.

Delicious authentic Korean BBQ right at the Murray Hill LRR station. They specialize in Galbi (Shortrib) and use real charcoal for their grills which you don't see often anymore. In addition they give a great arrangement of side dishes (banchan). The service is ok, nothing fancy. The only complaint is the smoke. Not sure if it was an exception or if it's always like that.

Nicole K.

After the Mets game, we wanted to grab something to eat. We originally intended to dine at a different bbq spot but there was a wait time so decided to check this place out. We got seated right away. We ordered soju and beer and the waitress helped us order the right amount of meat. We got the marinated galbi and brisket. Love how they give you so much banchan, soup, and steamed eggs. We were so full and the service was great. The only downfall was how rushed we were to place our order and close our tab. We didn't ask for the check but the waitress brought it out. It seemed like they were closing soon which is why they probably were rushing but we were still eating and drinking and would've probably ordered more drinks. Otherwise, solid kbbq spot for galbi!

Mapo Dweji Kalbi
Jane L.

My husband and I have walked by Mapo BBQ so many times, as it's right across from the Murray Hill LIRR station, and we finally stopped in last night for dinner after hearing good things about it from my husband's friend (who lives in the neighborhood). It is definitely an authentic, no frills experience, but their BBQ is very tasty, and they have a solid banchan game. We got an order of Mapo Galbi and Dweji (pork) Galbi, and both were tender and flavorful. They brought out a small soondubu jigae, egg jjim, and cheese corn in addition to the rest of the banchan. I've read other reviews commenting on the service, and I will say that they are all business and focus on expediting the ordering/dining process. I can see how this could come across as rude or abrasive to non-Koreans, but it's kind of the Korean way for spots like this (I'm sure it's amplified by the fact that they're next to a train station and get a lot of foot traffic). I don't mind it, but for those looking for a more relaxed and leisurely dining experience, this may not be the right spot. My only critique would be that the vents above the grills don't seem strong enough to handle the smoke coming from the charcoal grills, so it was a bit intense, and our clothes and outerwear smelled very strongly of smoke and meat when we left. That being said, it's worth it since there are very few KBBQ joints still using charcoal these days.

Meat
Da-Eun L.

We visited Mapo as a group of five, under a 7pm reservation we made two weeks in advance. However, when we arrived at the establishment, they could not find my reservation; they claimed they forgot to write it down when I had called. We ended up waiting an additional 30 minutes before getting seated. The food was pretty authentic -- we got a variety of cuts and it came with an array of banchan, soups, and steamed egg. I was impressed by the quality of banchan (side dishes) here, and the server aunties were so nice too! The cold noodles were a highlight as well! My only qualm though is the *lack of ventilation* at the establishment. The moment you are sitting down, you are gassed by the smoke coming from your surrounding tables' grills and yours. When I came out after my meal, I felt like I smoked a pack of cigarettes... Overall, the food and the quality of meat is pretty good, authentic, and the service was nice as well (albeit a bit disorganized). However, you are in Murray Hill -- you can def find more kbbq places with meat of similar caliber and at a better price point (with better ventilation!!!)

James L.

Food here is good! Don't need to order too much since there are SO MANY side dishes. Great service. Korean and Chinese speaking as well!

Hwe Naeng Myun, so refreshing!
Yvonne M.

Love Korean food and my favorite is Naengmyeon, so refreshing, it definitely helped after eating the grilled beef! The ban chan they gave were really good and so many options along with steamed eggs & zucchini soup. The beef was so tender and I love wrapping with lettuce, the sauce, Kim chi and garlic, perfect combo! Had soju too to celebrate a bday, the staff was very attentive and everything came out pretty quick! I'll be back cause the flavors were on point and really enjoyed the meal!

Korean BBQ time!   :)

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6 months ago

I have a stomachache after eating. The food wasn't clean. And there is no service at all......

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2 years ago

A bit pricey, but Mapo's Korean beef is really good. The sides are also plentiful in variety.

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1 year ago

All time favorite Korean BBQ. It's charcoal grill.The steak was extremely flavorful, tender and juicy. The side dishes are also amazing.

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Woodam

Woodam

(116 reviews)

$$

Downtown Flushing, Flushing

So delicious! They don't take reservations but overall service is really fast and if you come for…read morean early dinner (around 5) there will most likely be seats. They start you off with barley tea and water, and we also got the jeju mandarin fizz which was 5/5 delicious - not sweet at all, fizzy, with a nice iced sorbet situation going on at the top. Here's what we ordered - Lava rock cheese tteokgalbi (5/5): so delicious and not heavy at all if you're worried about that. It was surprisingly not oily, the meat was plump and juicy, and there was just the right amount of cheese. The dipping sauce was also surprisingly light and complemented the dish well - Collagen gomtang (5/5): wow this soup was so flavorful and had so much depth. The meat was so tender too - Gukbap (4/5): I loved the veggies and glass noodles in this one, but the soup itself was on the salty side, a bit salty for me Unlimited banchan refills and the kimchi was some of the best I had!

I was looking for new spots around Flushing and Woodam immediately caught my attention. I saw soy…read moremarinated crab on the menu and my eyes lit up, but it's currently out of season. I'll be back for that. What I ordered: - Collagen gomtang (Korean beef bone soup): Very good! The beef ribs were extremely tender. The broth was clean, clear, slightly oily, and overall very comforting. Must try! - Oxtail & short ribs jjim: Generous portion size. We went with the soy garlic glaze, which was decent but the flavor profile was very mild. I would have preferred more sauce for a richer taste. The meat itself was very tender. The banchan is unlimited, which we loved. The black fungus and spicy cucumber was my favorite. Servers were friendly and attentive throughout. Overall, a solid experience. I would recommend it and plan to return. :)

Hahm Ji Bach - Kbbq beef kalbi

Hahm Ji Bach

(1.4k reviews)

$$

Murray Hill, Flushing

Been craving a Korean meal with 10 banchan since Ramadan. This is the only place that comes to mind…read morewhen I think of 10 banchan. Banchan: 3/5 kimchi- pretty fermented 3/5 eggs in soy sauce- decent 3/5 macaroni salad- not a fan of the stuff but standard 3/5 acorn jelly- all the flavor is in the chili sauce, wish they would add the sauce inside the jelly while making it 5/5 kkaktugi- my fave, less fermented than baechu kimchi 4/5 broccoli- how do they make something so bland- looking so flavorful? 4/5 mackerel radish- spicy, not a fan of radish that's not pickled but this is really good 4/5 potato strips- I love any type of potato 3/5 radish strips- wish it had less of the radish taste/smell but ok decent otherwise 3/5 mul naengmyeon $15- contains a slice of beef, standard, better when you add mustard & vinegar 4/5 cinnamon ginger tea- so nice of them to give something sweet to end the meal, has a bit too much cinnamon, so it's hella spicy (red hot) but really good otherwise 4/5 service was much better this time than any other time, really helps when you speak their language lol, I know they're always busy but they do need to pay a bit more attention as it's still hard to make eye contact once in awhile

Pros: - service from staff is always amazing, they're very…read morekind and friendly - portions are always very big and they give plenty of banchan (side dishes) amd refills Cons: Comments: - went on a Saturday around 12PM, at first there were only 2 other tables and it wasn't so busy but when 12:30 hit, it got really busy and all the tables were full - I've been coming here since high school and the quality of the meat has always been amazing - I usually go with one other person and 1 portion of samgyeopsal and 1 portion of kalbi is enough for the both us - the music usually isn't too loud, it's at a level where you can hear it but, it's not overpowering your conversation if you're having one

Jang Dok Dae

Jang Dok Dae

(189 reviews)

$$

Auburndale, Flushing

Fresh ingredients and best seafood pancake in Queens! I like the menu changes depending on what's…read morein-season and everything I've had here hitsss. Must come for the seafood pancake - it's so full of fresh seafood and perfect ratio to the thin batter. Creds to the two people running front of house and kitchen!

We happened to come to this area and stumbled upon this little Korean mom/pop restaurant and are so…read moreglad we did! This place is a little of a hidden gem and not quite like other Korean restaurants. But no gatekeeping here! We also came at a weird lunch time around 2pm so it wasn't really busy and we were seated right away. Once you enter, you'd quickly notice the very detailed beautifully hand painted murals on the walls and an abundance of painted butterflies. The attention to detail is impeccable! The menu is also very cute and I'm guessing handmade. It was pretty detailed and we appreciated learning about each dish before deciding what to order. We ended up ordering the Kimchi Pancake with seafood, the spicy bulkoki udon and the jeyuk udon. The kimchi seafood pancake was super crispy and filled with squid and shrimp! It also came with a semi sweet dipping sauce that paired nicely. Both udons came out piping hot and fresh! Udon had a nice chew to it, was loaded with vegetables as well as meat for each dish. The egg was fried and did not have a runny yolk. For sides, they gave us 4 things- a tomato salad, kimchi cucumbers, braised string beans, and bean sprouts. The tomato salad came in this cute apple shaped dish but neither of us really cared for it- this is completely biased though since we're not really fans of tomato. What we really did love was the kimchi cucumbers! Also at the end, they served us 3 pieces of cantaloupe which were very sweet. Overall, yummy food, cute shop, and friendly/nice staff! I'd come back to try their other food options in the future!

Geo Si Gi

Geo Si Gi

(309 reviews)

$$

Murray Hill, Flushing

Came here late night with my boyfriend - we ordered the squid and pork dolsot bibimbap. so good!!!…read moreGood portions and the side dishes were delicious :) We will definitely be back

Tried this place for the first time, it was a Saturday night. We arrived around 5:30 table of 2 and…read morethere were 2 other large parties. It got busy, almost full house around 6:30ish. There's 2 waitresses and one busser, but I felt only one of the waitress was pulling the weight, while the other (maybe she's the owner?) mostly chatted with one of the table customers. I felt bad for our waitress she was so busy with fulfilling takeouts + dine ins and the dishes require a lot of servicing table side. She couldn't catch 1 second of break :( Food wise, we got their 2 person combo of spicy pork gamja tang and spicy rice cake which came with the steamed egg. Everything was so good, egg was extra fluffy, rice cake was delicious and the meat came right off the bones. They take a good variety of side dishes. My partner wasn't a fan of the gamja tang but due to feeling it's a hassle to eat meat with bones, so those who fee sim may agree. We also asked for the fried rice after we finished the gamja tang, for 2 servings I think it was $4.75 or something. I really enjoyed it but I guess I like scorched rice, also something my partner doesn't enjoy so those we feel sim just note. Environment feels very old school, well worn. Feels cozy. It can get loud very quickly on a Saturday night as this place seems to be a hit for large parties. Since the wait staff is short handed, expect a bit of a wait for things. Don't come if you're in a rush.

Daori BBQ - Lots of banchan!

Daori BBQ

(61 reviews)

Murray Hill, Flushing

I was at this very tasty KBBQ place a while back with one of my usual groups. The inside is casual,…read moreand our waitress, Jane, was extremely friendly and helpful from refilling banchan to cooking meats and otherwise. A couple of us shared a $13 bottle of the green grape flavor of Chum Churum, a soju. In terms of banchan, there was a bunch. Everyone got a cold and refreshing cabbage soup as well as a very tasty version of Braised Tofu/Dubu-jorim/두부조림. Once we ordered, we also got a bunch of other banchan, including cabbage, radish, and cucumber Kimchi, broccoli and cauliflower Namul, Marinated Mushrooms/Beoseot Bokkeum/버섯볶음, Anchovies With Peanuts/Myeolchi Bokkeum/멸치볶음, and Potato/Gamja Salad/감자샐러드. One of the other things brought out was a pretty tasty version of Raw Soy Sauce Marinated Crab/Ganjang-Gejang/간장게장. Most of these were refillable. The first actual thing that arrived was something that I can't eat, the $22.99 Seafood Pancake/Haemul Pajeon/해물파전. I have a cephalopod allergy, or in other words, anything with tentacles, so I avoid squid and octopus, and seafood pancakes always contain one of those two. Everyone else enjoyed it, though. The pajeon I could eat was the Kimchi Jeon/김치전 for a dollar less. It was pretty tasty, though I prefer other spots that had a bit more of a crisp. Next was one of their signatures, the grilled duck. Going from online reviews, we went with the non-spicy version, as people prefer it, as the spicier marinade overpowers the duck. This was the $29.99 Sang Ori Gui/생오리구이. The sliced duck was on a hot, sizzling plate, with there also being a lot of grilled onions and scallions. The duck had a mix of pieces, ranging from fatty to less so, and had a nice mix of textures. This was easily one of my favorites, though I liked it even more when paired with the ssamjang that arrived with the BBQ, as the sauce balanced the light fattiness. Arriving at a similar time was the last thing I couldn't eat, the Spicy Stir-Fried Baby Octopus on Iron Plate/Jjukkumi Cheolpan Bokkeu/철판쭈꾸비볶음, for $30.99. I couldn't try the octopus, but the portion was plentiful, and I had a bit of the noodles on the bottom after making sure there were no tentacles, as well as trying the sauce. The sauce was tasty, spicy, and very flavorful. We went with two of the Korean BBQ meats, one beef and one pork. My preference of the two was surprisingly the $49.99 Charcoal Grilled Marinated Beef Ribs/Yangnyeom Galbi/양념갈비. This also came with two veggies: kabocha squash and asparagus. The beef was extremely tender, had the perfect mix of fat and meat, and had only a light sweetness from the marinade. This was absolutely delicious and very much worth the price point. Also tasty was the Grilled Pork Belly/Samgyeopsal/삼겹살, for $36.95. This also came with a few things, including cabbage and a large mushroom. The pork belly was delicious, being just fatty enough and very tender as well, with a mild chew. The BBQ came with a few extra side dishes. This included a tasty steamed egg/Gyeran-jjim/계란찜, greens, an onion salad, ssamjang, salt, and a small boiling pot of soybean stew/doenjang jjigae. They were all tasty, though nothing particularly notable outside of the portions being generous. Also, at the end of the meal, they gave us some sujeonggwa. Not much for me to complain about this place. The food was very tasty overall, and the service was wonderful. I would go back and order a full beef BBQ set.

In an area that looked like remnants of a Korean immigrant neighborhood and now more so, Chinese…read moreimmigrant businesses. We were famished after a long walk. You would think we would order Chinese food but we ended up here. No regrets though. We ordered the pork bbq and it was delicious, presentation was good along with the banchan side dishes. In addition, I also received the gaejang (marinated raw crab) which was a nice touch. We also ordered the daegi gukbap (pork soup with rice), a comfort dish and kimchi pancake which was really tasty. Our server was good. We arrived past the busier lunch hourso this was a pleasant non-hurried experience.

Mapo BBQ - korean - Updated May 2026

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