So this is kinda sad because I remember when I used to think this was the best place to get Korean BBQ, not anymore. Three years ago I had to wait to get a table all the time. Are they under new management? Do they no longer consider Koreans their target customer? The signs changed... It's all in Chinese now. If I remember correctly. The meat is tender and the charcoal flavor is great. But my god, what happened to the marinade?? What are they doing, marinating in sugar water. GROSS. And that was the extent of the flavor. just sugar. I tasted nothing else. (If you like non-marinated kalbi then i think you might enjoy the flavors a bit more.) and the meat doesn't come attached to the bone. It used to come attached, may I add. I'm not stupid. When a restaurant uses real kalbi, the meat is presented attached to the bone. They want you to know this is real kalbi. Otherwise, I'm not trusting that this is real rib meat. If anyone who is reading this has more knowledge on butchering, maybe they can enlighten me. I don't know. So I asked the waiter " is this really two servings?" And she said "our restaurant serves big portions". So I said "actually, I asked because it looks tiny." She disagreed but I digress. It turned out to be more than enough, by the way. The side dishes were all so sweet. I mean, really, so inedible. The kimchi was disgusting. It didn't taste like kimchi, just sugar and crunchy cabbage. What did they use, red colored sugar?? It was missing flavor. My favorite; raw marinated crab, was marinated in what looked like sugar paste. This had some spiciness to it so it wasn't too bad. I always order the "jahgoekbob" which is the purple rice with bean and grains mixed in it. And the beans were hard. I like my beans and grains in my mixed rice not mushy but this was, undercooked, for sure. If you don't care enough about the simple things, I can't trust you to make food correctly. And the soybean paste soup that's comes with BBQ orders (I had to ask for it by the way, and I hate that because only restaurants that try to cheat customers do that) surprise, surprise tasted like ... Nothing. I mean I saw the spices that goes into making this soup floating in there. But I didn't even taste the dwen jang! If a korean restaurant messes up on the rice and kimchi AND dwenjang jigae, I can't even be bothered at that point. But overall it was a tug of war; between everything being too sweet or having no flavors at all. And I was the loser who paid 36 dollars for one serving of probably-not-kalbi kalbi. Never ever going back. Ever. read more

Great food and great service. The wait was a little annoying, but the food was worth the wait. One of the better Kalbi meats I've had in NYC. They were also very generous with the side dishes. Most importantly they use charcoal and this is the only restaurant that I know who uses it. Enjoy! read more

Mapo BBQ - Kalbi being cooked over charcoal grill. Yumm - Korean Near Me - Flushing, New York

We ordered the fried meat dumplings, the kalbi (korean bbq rib) and kimchi jae yook buk kum (marinated kimchi, pork and tofu). It was all delicious! The kalbi was a little sweeter than I personally like but my son loved it. The meat was really tender and well seasoned. And there was so much ban chan (side dishes) and other complimentary dishes (egg in hot stone pot and a stew). Definitely will come back here to try the other dishes. read more

Go to another restaurant. The owner yelled "kitchen too busy" when we asked for another cheese corn. We ordered a lot of beef so the revenue was there already. Very sad to see the owner does not set an example for good customer service. 11 tables tonight with 4 women and one guy handling tables. Yet everyone is running around, yelling, hoping you order expensive alcohol. When they give you back your credit card and receipt, you are rushed to "sign now!" There are so many other restaurants in the area that seem to actually enjoy being in the restaurant business. I am hoping someone reads this review and shares it with the owner. read more

The Best Korean BBQ is here !!! only MAPO choice

Oh mah gat!!! Amazing. It's a marinated slab of premium steak meat grilled on your table. And this complimentary corn grilled on a skillet is culinary genius. If someone were to ask which eatery I missed the most about NY, IT"S THIS ONE!!!! Please eat here...for me. read more

Great Kalbi and service. Love the side dishes. We always get the Mapo Kalbi. read more

Owner was trying to give away our seat to other group who came after us. We haven't finished eating and they already started to take away our dishes!!! Very rude!!! It was my favorite Korean BBQ place cuz they were nice to non Korean ppl... read more

Way overpriced. The spicy pork is uneatable fatty meat The beef is okay but definitively not worth the money. There is no chicken dish at all. read more

The Best Korean BBQ restaurant. Very friendly service and tender beef rib. A lot of side dishes. I'm definitely going back this restaurant again. Very kind staffs. Thank you so much for unlimited sides refill. So delicious!!! read more

Best marinated Kalbi in Flushing, hands down! Tasty side dishes and friendly service from ahjumahs. We got a free bottle of soju for a birthday dinner, they sure know how to treat guests right! read more

I have been there yesterday,it was a horrible service,The Lady is really rude.I did ask her for some napkin about twice and she didn't answer me,and the COLD NOODLES taste really bad,my friends been there before she just want to ask her what time they open but They told her go another story to eat,they don't want to take her.it was a horrible experience I don't want to be there anymore,never again .don't go there. read more

Their kalbi is so tender that even your denture-less grandma can chow down the food!

My new fav. for Korean BBQ. A little bit of a wait for a table...but expected being 6ish on a sunday; everyone was out. A large variety of ban chan. Everything tasted great. The servers are very nice and polite. read more

I am giving it a negative 10 stars. Please go there if you want to ruin your dinner gathering!! The servers there will definitely surprise you with their unique attitude. They will try to make you order more than what you can eat. We were people of 4 and two of us are vegetarians. After we told our server we would like to order one beef short rib, she immediately told us the serving is for one person, we should order 4 orders!! We haven't told her our whole order yet and she already told us to order more. That's very rude. Not everyone in the world eats beef!!! After we told her that only two of us eat beef, and she replied to us that it is tradition to order one beef dish for everyone. After we told her that we only want one beef order, she kept repeating herself each dish order is for one person. She was trying to force us to order more beef dish!! We didn't continue our order and we decided to go to the other Korean bbq restaurant next door. One of the lady walk out with us and apologized to us, and asked us to take the outdoor seating instead. I told her the servers here needs to be trained again and should not discriminate customer's eating habit. Of course we didn't stay, and there are many other Korean BBQ in the neighborhood that offers better food and price. By the way, the one next door was good in both service and food. read more

let me just say that.. it is better than MOST of the korean restaurants in ktown. i agree that it's a little over-priced, but it's delicious. you get lots of side dishes which is EDIBLE unlike the other korean restaurants where they give you shit like as if you're a freakin donkey giving you 6 types of lettuce and shit (seriously wtf). it can get crowded and at times you will run into drunk korean people but besides that.. it's great! read more

We loved this place!!! Thank goodness I'm able to speak Korean because almost every waitress spoke Korea. The food was really good, the Kalbi was fresh and tasted great!! my family loved the place! Their banchan are also really good! there were tons of them as well!! its not a fancy place, its a neighborhood joint and I loved that about this place! We their seafood pancake was really good as well, not too greasy or heavy, their chapchae was also good. I recommend you try this place out!! read more

Kalbi...Get in my belly! I'll take care of you if you take care of me. And that is exactly how the night unfolded. I must say this is the best kalbi I've ever had at any Korean BBQ. Their price for a plate is in line with other restaurants (almost $30), but the flavor and tenderness of their short ribs is leaps and bounds over the competition. Not only that, but you get a truck load of banchan to go along with your entrées. Also, ventilation is adequate so you don't come out smelling like grilled meat afterwards. read more

The best kalbi ever! The cut is thicker and it made for a juicier moist bite that I loved. The banchan was also very tasty but must say the service could have been a bit better. But once I took a bite of that meat, I forgave them for their lack of service. I have to go back. read more

The marinated kalbi was well seasoned and did not disappoint when grilled over charcoal. The panchan was varied and refilled when requested. Two orders of kalbi will get you two small pots of "soondubu". I put this in quotes bc it was literally bland soup with all the makings of a soondubu but none of the flavor. But it's not like you'd come here for anything other than BBQ. read more

Pretty good authentic Korean BBQ. Meats were fresh. Service was good. Highly recommend you bring someone who speaks Korean with you. We went in a big group and the owner comped us sodas. Very generous for an Asian restaurant. read more

We started coming here after seeing it recommended in a NYT article. We're actually very familiar with this little nexus of Korean restaurants in Flushing. We've been going to Hahm Ji Bach down the block for years. Mapo has a more casual and homey atmosphere, created by the all-women wait staff and the friendly matriarch that seems to run the place. The place draws a range of diners, from packs of hungry young 20-somethings instagramming their food to Korean and Chinese families with young kids to old Korean men deep in conversation. Ultimately it's the food that connects us. The kalbi is tender and tasty, the sides are varied and replenished. Our six year old son loves the steamed egg dish and they will often bring him a second one on the house. In other words, it's a place where you feel taken care of. There's usually a line to get in since it's a relatively small restaurant, but we've always found it worth the wait. read more

Korean: lovely but expensive. The kalbi beef and the roasted corn were the standouts. The pork was good and the second waitress was more patient and friendly. (The first one was a royal you-know-what.) Our waitress's honesty was aslo refreshing as she told us that the place next door had a better porky belly. read more

We finally tried this place and it was a total disappointment. Cons: 1. This place valet parking means someone will take your car and drive around the block to find street parking for you. They dont have a parking lot like ham jibak. 2. This place is soooo extremely tiny. It fits about about 6 tables or so. Literally, it is so small that you should never come in groups. The place is literally a small room totally outdated. There is nothing but tables and chair. 3. Side dishes tasted so bad. Korean side dishes are supposed to be fresh. This place tasted like leftover dishes reserved again. Not many good varieties. We were so disappointed. 4. They charge you $40 for a very small portion of galbi meat. Come on... side dishes tasted bland and cold. Then, they give you barely any meat to eat. What am i paying for??? 5. Marinated galbi = not recommended. It is so sweet no flavor. Just plain galbi tasted better because of the charcoal. Pro: it gets 1 extra star because of the charcoal. That is all. We would never go back there again. Waste of money. Not recommended. The servers are old ladies who do not speak english. Make sure you speak korean. read more

Food was alright. Service was bad. I know its during busy dinner hours but to ask us to leave is just not right. we literally just finished, paid, and the waitress asked if we were done eating/ finished paying, and if we can leave because people are waiting for a table. the audacity! never going back. read more

One of the great Kbbq places in NYC. The side dishes are awesome. The meat is really tender, service is great. Their seafood pancake is great. Moderate pricing too. Nakji dolsot is delicious. Their service is really good and the food is just yummy. Can't complain! read more

Excellent Korean BBQ with real charcoal grilling the meat. The meat is well seasoned and thick which retains the flavor. We ordered a couple of other dishes which were fine but the star is the the grill. I would go back just for the grilled BBQ meats. read more

The calbee beef here is really one of a kind. I have tried a lot of different Korean restaurants and this place is by far the best. I think it has to do with 1) how they marinate it and 2) how they cut the meat. The calbee is not the typical three boned short-rib. They actually debone the meat and cut squares into the outer layer of the meat. The ladies who work here speak both Korean and Chinese (and who knows what else). Also, typically if you order at least 3 orders of calbee, they give you some type of service (like free tofu soup). Pros: Really good beef; muliti-lingual wait staff Cons: Small place, may have to wait read more

Best Kalbi in the city...tender, juicy...have to get it when yer here...everything else is real good too..i only come here! small, and a bit pricey but damn good... read more

BEST galbi (korean bbq) in queens. end of post.

Only went to this place cause Hahm Ji Bach was too full but I dont regret it, its very nice. Although the atmosphere is not too lively, (you only hear old grandpas chatting away), the service was great. I even had to avoid eye contact with the waitresses because if I did they would come over again lol. My kimchi jigae had rice cakes in it so yes!! And we got yakult drinks at the end. Pretty good! Happy tummy read more

I've been here multiple times with my family. The service is great. The food was also on point. For korean BBQ we got the pork belly and kalbi beef. We mostly got dishes on the side. Their Japchae is really good and their seafood pancake. The waiters also speak Chinese so they were able to explain to my parents what each dish is. That was helpful. I enjoy going to this place a lot. I recommend it! read more

The kalbi here is pretty legit and good every time. I am a definitely a fan...looking forward to my next meal within the month!

Good but way too expensive for what it is. I know plenty of other kbbq places that have good quality and better portions! Just ordered two kalbis and nengmyun and it was over $100. Def not worth it. Sticking to kanghodong! read more

This is my hands down favorite place for KALBI. They marinate it the best, it comes out in perfect chunk sizes (not strips), and they grill it over wood chips for the perfect smoky bbq flavor mMm. The other thing they excel in are the banchan. They give SO much and it's not just ONLY veggie ones either ( ahem hahm ji bach). I also loooove their grilled corn banchan. If i knew exactly how they made it I would make it at home wahhh. In terms of BBQ items, I would just stick with the kalbi. The pork belly and other types of meats were not that great. The only bad thing is that it's not the cheapest for KBBQ. The service is also hit or miss depending on how busy they are. I've been there and been treated very well and also have been there and felt rushed. I've brought my parents and different groups of friends here and now it's all their favorite spot too ;) read more

This has been our go to Korean BBQ for years. The beef is still really good and a good assortment of complimentary sides including cold dishes and hot ones like grilled corn, steamed egg and spicy tofu soup. I just wish they'd upgrade their ventilation system. Some days the smoke is really unbearable. read more

Do not come here. There are only 4 choices of to choose from for their grill and each costs about $40. That wouldn't be so bad, but the waiter there tried to make it a big deal that 1 order can feed 1 - and only 1 - person. I was with 3 others including my girlfriend and we all had decided that we would just not order from their grill and order from their kitchen menu which was decent. We simply were not ready to pay such a steep price for what "could" be really good meat. What wasn't cool was when I noticed the orders of people around us who were using the grill and their grill orders looked fairly large and enough to feed multiple people per order. At the end, when the bill came, they approached us with a gentleman from the back and said "hey, tip is not included in the total" after we had already paid. We would have left a tip had we not been moved from a grill table to a non grill table, not asked if we wanted drinks, and made to abort the very thing that made us come there to experience (which was to order the BBQ). I can see how this might be a great place for one or two people, but certainly not for a large crowd because they will try to make every single person order for their grills. That might be fine for some, but not so great for a group of hispanic college kids who just wanted to experiment and try out something new. It would have been a huge plus if we had gone there with someone who knew the language. Unfortunately the waitress's there did not speak very good English which may have hindered communication. We didn't get any pointers as to what the items they were serving us were (but that very well may be because we didn't ask). Had they let us order 1 or 2 items from their grill just to try it out - and had they not nastily approached us because of the tip -and had they not moved us from one table to another so that they could free up a grill (which is understandable) is why I would not recommend this place. If you do decide to come here, come ready to dish out a lot of money, and more money for their tip that they will come to your face for. Side note: I do recognize that tips should be issued to recognize and reward the services a place provides to the customer. However in my opinion, there is no obligation to give a tip if the customer does not feel that they have been fully taken care of in terms of service which encompasses so many different aspects. (Menu pointers, availability of waiter, beverage refills, frequency of check ups, ect.) I should not be made to pay more money other than what I intended to spend based on menu pricing just because I ate there, along with the feeling that I wasn't well taken care of. read more

Worst experience Ever , First my boyfriend and I spent 75$ with tax for the dinner and because of their really bad service I left only 7$ tip , but today we found out they charged additional extra 12$ out if no where just made me to come and write this to let other ppl know , this shop is absolutely the worst ! They first was not happy about we order only one serving meat ( cuz I am a vegetarian) and messed up my kimchi pancake with a seafood pancake , they took the fire away right after the meat was cooked and left the food went cold , my boyfriend had to finish the meat asap as they went cold and couldn't even enjoy it. They were using the excuse " otherwise the meat goes hard " but i grow up with korean bbq and that's just really a joke . I was very disappointed for the dinner will NEVER go back and for the extra charge that's a fraud and stealing. Shame on them . read more

I think after so many reviews raving about the meat, I was expecting a bit more. We ordered the plain galbi and marinated galbi. Flavor and freshness was good, but they were not melt in your mouth tender. Some bits were actually hard to chew. I'm not sure if we just got bad cuts, but it wasn't what I expected considering I have experienced melt in your mouth galbi elsewhere. That being said, I did appreciate all of the banchan...everything was excellent...and the service was very warm. The overall experience was great enough for me to want to give it another try. Hope to have an updated review soon. read more

Hands down the best korean bbq place ever. The meat is cooked over wood instead of the usual gas grill. The meat is much thicker, and then when it's just about done, they cut it up in small chunks for you to eat. It's marinated to perfection. Besides the meat, it comes with tons of delicious sides including tofu soondubu and the steamed egg, that they keep on replenishing for you without you even having to ask. Oh and their grilled corn side dish is awesome!! read more