Just decided to try this place one day when my fiancé and I were driving by and the food was good. It was great that although the servers didn't know English, one of the servers knew mandarin so she was able to communicate with my fiancé and the ordering went smoothly. I never mind it when the staff only speak their own language because it is an indicator that the food is going to be good! This place just looked like another regular Korean barbecue place which was exactly what we were looking for (something with a more homey feel). The meats we got were the LA Galbi and we also got pork belly. Both of the meats were great and my fiancé really enjoyed the Banchan. I did think that the soy bean stew and the egg soufflé was a little weak but my fiancé whole isn't a soup person surprisingly really liked the soy bean stew. We also ordered a bowl of spicy Korean cold noodles which always pairs perfectly with hot barbecue. Overall it was a great experience if you're looking for day to day Korean barbecue. read more

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A no frills kbbq spot that serves amazing melt in your mouth meats! The meat was insanely good, much better than spots in the city. You have to order a minimum of 2 meats to have it cooked in front of you and it comes with a side of egg, corn, and tofu stew. The service was okay. There were about 3-4 Korean grandmas running around the place trying to multitask. Would definitely recommend, maybe on a weekday as it seems to get crowded on weekends. Came in on a Tuesday night around 8pm and our group of four was able to be seated. read more

Mapo BBQ - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

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Got the lunch special where you can choose between a cold noodle or tofu stew, which both came with a plate of beef ribs. The stew was better than the cold noodle. The beef ribs and banchan were so delicious! There banchan were so plentiful and full of variety. The service was also so good and everyone was really nice. Would definitely come back for their kbbq and galbi! read more

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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. read more

Mapo BBQ - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

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Charcoal bbq, had 3 waitresses bussing all the tables on a Friday night, super busy, we made a res in advance (same day). We got the seafood pancake, japchae, different cuts of beef and it all tasted great but we had to ask for them to bring the sesame oil and salt for non-marinated meat, and they didn't refill the teas bc they were short handed. Sometimes the restaurant was a bit smokey/ could use better ventilation but overall we would come back, maybe at a less busy time. read more

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. read more

Mapo BBQ - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

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. read more

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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! read more

Mapo BBQ - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

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

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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! read more

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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. read more

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Mapo BBQ is hands down one of the best Korean BBQ spots I've been to--and their meat quality truly sets them apart. We ordered the marinated beef ribs (galbi) and the fresh prime short ribs, and both were absolute showstoppers. The marinated galbi was bursting with flavor--perfectly balanced between sweet and savory, and grilled to tender, caramelized perfection right at the table. Every bite melted in the mouth. Then came the prime short ribs--no marinade, just incredibly fresh, high-quality beef. You could really taste the natural richness of the meat. Once grilled, they were buttery, juicy, and had that satisfying beefy depth that only top-tier cuts deliver. The banchan (side dishes) were plentiful and constantly refreshed, and the staff was attentive and helpful with the grill. Everything from the kimchi to the dipping sauces complemented the meats beautifully. Mapo BBQ strikes the perfect balance between great service, top-notch ingredients, and a fun, lively dining experience. If you love Korean BBQ--or just love meat--this place is a must. Highly recommend coming hungry and ready to feast! read more

Came here for dinner, and this is an authentic ahjumma place--no bells and whistles. But I came for the food, and it is solid here Pros: - Charcoal grills - what more can you say - Great banchans - Good portion sizes for the apps and mains Cons: - Street Parking read more

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! read more

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If your favorite part of a Korean restaurant is the ban Chan/side dishes, then this is the best Korean restaurant in the city. Ban Chan is incredible. They give you a million dishes and they all taste great. I'm not a big meat person but am told the meat is average by kbbq standards. read more

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

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. read more

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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!!!) read more

Mapo BBQ - Meat - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

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! read more

Mapo BBQ - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

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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! read more

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Unfortunately, this restaurant has gone down a lot in quality. I'm actually really disappointed. My friend and I came here for lunch after work and decided to order Bibim Naengmyun and two servings of Mapo Kalbi. They do the cooking at the grill for you so you can just sit back and relax. There weren't many people, maybe 2 other tables with customers, when I was there. There was a good range of banchans (side dishes) but it's the main course that threw me offf The Bibim Naengmyun came out and I was able to tell immediately that it was going to be super dry. It was so hard to mix and eating it was a chore by itself. It's like I was forcing myself to eat each bite. I've had my share of Bibim Naengmyuns and this was not it. The noodles were also overdone. The Kalbi was very burnt on the edges and when I took a bite into it, I could barely taste the meat or seasoning itself. Eating the Kalbi with the Bibim Naengmyun was not the best thing. The combination between the dryness and the burnt edges did not satisfy anything. I cannot justify coming back here again as there's other places that can offer better quality. Maybe in the future, I might come back to give this restaurant another try. But for now, I'm going to stay away. read more

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

I always enjoy coming here with my family and friends. The staff here sincerely cares about you and will make sure that the food, drinks and service exceed your expectations. Plenty of side dishes to enjoy with your Korean BBQ and a variety of meat to choose from as well. From beginning to end, my family, friends and I always enjoy our time here. So I highly recommend Mapo BBQ to anyone who's craving for delicious Korean BBQ! :) read more

Mapo BBQ - Korean BBQ time! :) - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

Service: 0.5/10 lol but I do not care about that. The food is at least a 9/10, putting it at an 8.7/10 to accommodate price point. Best banchans in a Korean restaurant I've ever had and the traditional meats like spicy fish and beef ribs were delectable. You can tell it doesn't taste like a $400 cut but it's incredibly delicious for the everyday cut. This is fantastic and an upgrade to the middle class Korean dining experience. Do be wary though they actually do discriminate against non-Koreans. I had to say "I want this" as my order 3 times when the waitress said "no, you're not Korean." And they do serve Korean patrons their food first lmao. I'd honestly give it a 5* for food but I will tone it down to a 4* just to warn others that the service and attitude of the staff might get to you. If you don't care, this place is amazing. read more

Mapo BBQ - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

Great spot, been coming here for years. Love all the little dishes, the barbecue is pretty good. Recommend calling in advance for reservation. read more

Divey, but really great. I don't often go to a la carte KBBQ restaurants because I'm Korean and have access to better meats and marinades than most places. I think I remember going to Mapo many, many years ago as a kid, and not loving it. The place is really small. My group of 6 was one of the biggest in the restaurant. The vent system wasn't working too well, and it was a hot day. The doors were left as open as the staff could, but we were all stewing in the smoke and humidity. Our table ordered the marinated pork ribs, which we had them grill separately for us & not at the table. This was a great option because we didn't have to deal with the meat burning in front of us or busy workers getting all up in our space trying to grill. The amount of side dishes that Mapo brought out was astounding. So many pickled and blanched veggies with sesame oil and garlic. Their kimchi was really unique, felt almost like a gochujang flavor and had a very thick bite. I almost felt like if I had gotten a bowl of rice earlier, I could have gotten full off of just the first round of side dishes. The pork ribs were good, nothing out of the ordinary. They did overcook it a little bit, but this is pork ribs, not some juicy thick steak. They did put the meat in a piping hot clay bowl with a layer of onion underneath so the meat stays warm but doesn't burn. I had the mini naengmyun, and while the noodles were a little clumpy, I felt like they took regular size naengmyun and put it in a small bowl. The broth was nice and beefy. Parking is always a little tough around the area, but there's usually something you can find within walking distance if none of the metered spots are available. You're gonna need it to walk off the meat and banchan. read more

My boyfriend previously came with his friends for dinner because Mapo BBQ was listed as one of the top KBBQ spots and enjoyed their experience, so he wanted me to try it too. Originally, I was under the impression that if we ordered any BBQ meat that there would be a complimentary soondubu, cheese corn, and steamed egg. However, you need to order at least 2 orders to get those extra dishes and to be able to utilize the charcoal grill. For the charcoal grill, I saw that they bring the heated charcoal to the table, and they grill the meat for you. It is a little messy when they remove the charcoal though because the remnants fly into the air and food on the table. Our single serving of Mapo Galbi ($47.95) was cooked in the kitchen and we ordered the add on of Mul Naegmyeon ($9.95). There is a good number of traditional delicious banchan (side dishes) and we were still given a complimentary steamed egg. I wasn't a fan of the cold noodles here because I have had better elsewhere, but otherwise the meat was flavorful and tender, the egg was savory, and the banchan was all very good. We cleared the table. The waitresses speak Korean and Mandarin, and they ask you to tip in cash. There was a funny incident after we paid were I left some coins along with the cash tip and the waitress stopped me to return the coins. Haha! read more

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We've been here for lunch before but this was the first time for a full Korean dinner. We've been told the kbbq is really good here so we finally had a chance to go. The marinated kalbi is the way to go and if you order a big order they include pajeon and soybean paste soup. The service in this place is amazing. By service, I don't just mean the waitressing (which was very attentive) but I also mean the many appetizers they give as a service (free). We ordered more than enough food but the extras absolutely pushed us over so we packed some food to go. The place is small so go early and the parking is non existent (as in most places in Flushing). They did take a reservation for 6 people on a Saturday night but maybe because it was at 6pm. By 7pm there was a long line out the door. read more

Mapo BBQ - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

Great Korean food! The restaurant is a bit cramped but overall nice and clean. They cook the food over a small charcoal pit in the middle of the table. It can get a little smoky but not unbearable . Portions are huge. We ordered two main dishes for four people and it was more than enough. We ordered the Noonkot galbi, boneless short ribs & mapo galbi, marinated beef ribs. They give you so many side dishes to go with it. Kimchi, salads, peanuts, zucchini, etc. the waitress comes over and repeatedly turns the meat on the grill until it's ready to eat. The meat was so tender and full of flavor!! We also ordered cold noodles for the table that were yummy! The staff was friendly and accommodating as we had a toddler at our table. Parking was a bit difficult in this area but worth it for this experience. read more

Mapo BBQ - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

4.5/5 for the soups!! This is not a review of their BBQ as we did not try any of that. We ordered the galbi tang and kimchi jjigae, classic dishes. Both were simple and flavored very well. The portions are pretty big as well-- will definitely return for these! Side dishes were good too. read more

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We had the ginseng chicken soup, short ribs, soon tofu and seafood pancake. All were pretty flavorful & cooked to perfection. Service were good. The only setback is that you'll smell like bbq when you're done. The banchan they served were plentiful and better than a lot of other places. read more

Mapo BBQ - Plethora of banchan - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

WARNING TO CUSTOMERS WHO ARE NOT KOREAN! This place is extremely RACIST. I came here with my mother and sister, we are from Hispanic descent. We were dressed very well, even carrying our designer bags. Although that shouldn't matter. They did not speak English at all and it was very hard to communicate with them, not even trying. We had to ask another patron for help with the menu. Food- Was mediocre at best. Location- if you are a women, please be careful traveling to this area. Across the street from the restaurant, there were about 40 homeless people cat calling all women. It's disgusting. Please save your money and time. Do not come here. read more

They finally reopened! Food is amazing as before. There more seating so the wait is shorter. It used to be over an hour wait on busy nights. Kalbi comes w plenty banchan ( small side dishes) charcoal grilled meat at yr table. Not many restaurants do charcoal grill. Perfect for cold weather ( or in the summer since there is AC ) It's really food place to go for authentic Korean BBQ. Service is friendly n courteous read more

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I didn't try the BBQ but a lot of people at the restaurant were eating BBQ. Instead, I had the spicy cod fish soup and spicy squid with udon. Food was good but on the spicier side. Service was decent. I will probably go back again. After dinner, I headed to Croffle house for some dessert! read more

Mapo BBQ - Spicy cod fish soup - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

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

Parking- find free street parking Covid- they have outdoor seating and cook the food for you inside Food- really good korean bbq and banchan. My parents love going to mapo when they're in New York. This is their favorite place so we come here to eat korean bbq. Good service and good food. read more

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Not your standard Korean BBQ. If you value quality, authenticity and old school feel in your eating experience; definitely come try Mapo. A block down from HJB, for those that wanted to try something else. Reopening after a break during the pandemic (fire damage), they've picked up where they left off. This is where my parents and their friends all like to come, and the patrons all reflect it. Almost all customers are Koreans of a certain age. Their reputation as the old style place with better banchans than HJB and other similar places is well earned. Latest lunch was 1/2 bbq meat and stew combo for me and rib soup for my companion. Very tasty and generous portions. Get mixed rice instead of white rice, it's more interesting and better for your body. BBQ anything is fine here. Prices may be a bit higher, but its worth it IMHO. read more

Many friends have told me that this place has the best Korean BBQ and their website also makes the same claim, but somehow we have never had the BBQ there. Most likely it is because the parking is so bad in this area because there are a ton of Korean food establishments in a very small area, as well as a subway stop. We finally made it there and I would probably say that they have one of the best. They use charcoal, which is probably the reason since that is a lot of work rather than just using gas. TIP: go with friend so you can order at least 3 orders of Kalbi so you get some complimentary dishes. The service is top notch with the waitress cooking each piece to perfection: the banchan is plentiful, which is becoming a rarity. The interior is old school Korean so nothing special, and it is a small space so they pack you in pretty tight: If they could only get their own parking, we would probably be back more often. read more

Mapo BBQ - Mapo Kalbi and a lot of banchan - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

I came here after my graduation from St John's University in Jamaica and had a great time! I have friends in Flushing who highly recommended this place and they pointed me in the right direction. The food was delicious and the service was fast and friendly. read more

I hate giving low reviews but I had a very subpar experience here. I came to Mapo on a Saturday night at 7pm and even after calling to make a reservation for my party of 5 we still had to wait a bit for a table. Given they have waiting rooms outside it wasn't a terrible wait even though it was a cold night. The service itself is where it absolutely ruined the dining experience for me. Within minutes of sitting down our server rushed us to order and outright pointing out what exactly we should order before we saw the menu. We ordered three servings of kalbi, an order of japchae, a bottle of makgeolli and an order of short ribs. Our waiter misheard short ribs as shrimp and brought us a huge plate of shrimp. After clarifying that it wasn't our order, they angrily took it away and never brought us our short ribs. That was great The kalbi itself was decent but the way it felt like they kept rushing us to eat and every plate was roughly plopped on the table left everyone a bit taken aback. We ended up finishing our meal and felt very much forced out within 30mins. I would say if you're hoping to have a chill night to dine and chat, this place is not it. But if you're okay with being treated rudely by your typical Asian aunties then come right along. On the plus side, they do offer a huge variety of banchan. Those were pretty tasty. However, they never refilled them even upon request. read more