I just found my new favourite Korean BBQ restaurant and I hope it's here to stay!!! Perfectly marinated and marbled meat cooked over perfectly set temperature (unlike the majority of places that turns the heat too high and meat comes out dry AF). This place is definitely THE BEST out of all Korean BBQ I've tried in Toronto! Service: Top notch! It was a busy night but the waitress always attended us with a smile. Gave us great recommendations and patiently helped us cook the first round. Atmosphere: I love the old-school decorations in the restaurant and the wooden walls, makes me feel like I'm back home, warm and cozy. FOOD: Meats are very well marinated and marbled, reasonably priced. Table top bbq comes with a free soup and I love how to cooktop has slots for cheese & corn dips!!! Highly recommend the pork belly marinated in wine, and the beef short ribs (must dip in cheese!) the beef ribs literally melts in your mouth! I always drink Makgeolli (this white rice drink) with Korean bbq, I love how they serve it in a copper pot with bowls, really reminds me of back home (I'm not Korean but had similar experiences growing up in China). Highly recommended! Seriously one of the best meals I've had in a very long time!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! read more

Mapo Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Pretty good! Doesn't replace (Little) Piggy's in my books but everything was still pretty tasty. The favourite item was definitely the "lunchbox". My boyfriend is Korean and it was super nostalgic for him! It has spam, kimchi, fried egg and rice. He closed the lid and started to shake it like a madman haha. The meat wasn't the best quality, especially for the price we were paying. A little disappointing. read more

Mapo Korean BBQ - Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I love Korean BBQ and this place didn't disappoint. Was a little pricey at $50 per person but we ate so much it was hard to walk. Spicy soup was amazing, also Bulgogi and short rib. Dipping sauces were also great read more

Went here with some ex coworkers for dinner, great service right at the get go, the quality of meats was pretty great for the Korean bbq so much so that we actually ordered the beef tar tar to try because the meat for the bbq was so great. Atmosphere wise it was pretty loud but it's expected on a busy Friday night. I would def go back again, with a group of friends. read more

Mapo Korean BBQ - Beef tartar on top of Asian pear - Barbeque Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My boyfriend and I went for a late dinner yesterday. For a Tuesday it was still pretty packed but we didn't have to wait for a table. I really liked how the tops of the chairs opened so you could put your coats and bags into them. This prevented them from smelling of meat and smoke when we left. My boyfriend and I ordered the LA Kalbi and Samgyeopsal with a side of rice. It came with a lot of side dishes, tofu stew and lettuce to make wraps definitely more than enough food for the both of us. The service was great, our waitress was attentive and helped cook our meat. At the end we even received some Yakult (probiotic drinks) to help digest our food. Would definitely come back again! read more

Mapo Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Caught up with a friend over the beef bulgogi, chicken thighs and, of course, unlimited sides although rice was not included in that. All the meat was exceptionally seasoned, and the servers didn't leave you fully to your own devices and would come check on the meat every minute or two and let us know when it was ready. Definitely a visual savoir-faire with the way it's laid out and displayed as little vendors. The staff was quick, witty, and helpful. Also you get 10% off your meal if you pay in cash. Nothing overly great, typical Korean BBQ food, but it's such an experience, will definitely be returning. read more

This place is amazing. I went during my vacation. The staff are really understanding and fun. It is a bit different from the ones in Montreal downtown . ( for whom don't know( It is not a buffet but a resto grill, so each food has their price but it's affordable and the portion are quite full. The food was great. I have nothing bad to say. I recommend read more

Great service. Staff are super friendly and the food is amazing! They change the BBQ hotplate very often. Highly recommended. Will return for sure! read more

I would eat here again in an Instant! The servers cooked the meat to perfection . What a fun experience if you're looking for something new to try while in Toronto! read more

My friends and I came to celebrate friendships and decided on this place. Short description: food is amazing and vibe is litty I've eaten at various Korean bbq joints in the GTA, my faves are Daldongnae, Kookminhakgyo, Pujukan.. but coming here just had an elevated vibe that wasn't pretending to be anything, but themselves - authentic and delicious. We ordered 3 different types of meat: pork neck, pork belly and LA kalbi which came with various side dishes, wraps, steamed egg, kimchi jijjae. Then we also ordered tteokbokki and kimchi pancake for appe and soju for toasting. For 3 people, we ordered too much and our table ran out of space that we had to put some meat and side dishes on the chairs beside us. Our server was beyond helpful, he arranged the side dishes and prepared our table properly then when our meats arrived, he also grilled them for us. For the price and quality, this is definitely a new fave Kbbq spot! read more

The staff here are very friendly, quality and service is top notch and prices are very reasonable. The only negative aspect is the ventilation isnt the best here, if the restaurant is full, youre coming out smelling like bbq and pork. read more

Mapo Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Love the atmosphere of this restaurant! It's not super packed but gives you that authentic 'you're in Korea doing your BBQ around the round tables' type of feel. The egg and kimchi that both have a dedicated space on the grill plate for us one of my favourite parts. Selection of meat is pretty good and it's good quality meat. You know you're at a good KBBQ restaurant when the table stools double as storage for your bag/jacket! read more

Not the best KBBQ experience I've had. The meat and the sides were tasty, but a few things made this experience 2 stars. The staff were attentive but overbearing which made the experience feel rushed. They were constantly cooking without asking if we were ready to move on. They didn't provide plates so they hurried us to eat the meat before it burnt. Recklessly, however, was how they mixed raw meat with the vegetables when cooking. For the prices charged, the portions were on the small side especially when charged at $20. There wasn't one person who looked after the table, which meant that 5 people would be cooking your food (and you know what they say about too many cooks!). One person placed a piece of meat down and another came to change the grill which meant the meat was then put onto a cold grill. One main reason we went here was because of the eggs and cheesy corn. Unfortunately, they had watered down the eggs so much that they never even cooked, and the cooker wasn't very well designed that the cheese only just melted by the time we left. They even turned the cooker off when the eggs were still raw. The person we spoke to seemed understanding and apologetic but didn't discount anything on the bill which made us feel like they didn't validate our experience or concerns. We also had to pay at the counter, which no one told us until after we had waited 5 minutes. Overall a poor experience from a promising restaurant. It's a shame, but hopefully they can improve and encourage a more relaxed atmosphere rather than rushing to get their customers out to make way for the next ones. It would also be great to see them coordinate the cooks a little better so you have one person in charge of your table. read more

After visiting this restaurant twice, it is officially one of my favourite Korean BBQ spots -- from the tofu stew, to the sweet corn cheese, to the probiotic drink to end the night. In terms of the main dishes, I ordered bulgogi and the HC pork belly. The bulgogi was fantastic, the pork belly not so much. The side dishes were also plentiful and the wait staff are very helpful and attending. read more

Mapo Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My absolutely worst Korean style BBQ experience ever in Toronto. The meat was so expensive for that amount and was not fresh at all. It tasted like plastic when you chew and also the heat pan cooks food unevenly,meat cooked so fast and almost burned but the outer food was not even ready. Also the shake shake bento got my attention , ordered for almost $10 dollars but come only with a little rice +kimchi+ egg+three slices of ham that worths less than $5. will not return. Do not recommend. read more

Mapo Korean BBQ - Taste so bad - Barbeque Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Probably me and my husband's favorite Korean BBQ spot. I have endless things to say! First is that they are open after midnight which I find very convenient because I finish work at midnight. The people who serve food are always very approaching, nice and friendly! Rachel and Jenny are both very accommodating. The food is worth the price and the place is very cozy. Its always a pleasant experience to dine here. We always leave the restaurant with satisfaction and happy tummies with yogurt drinks on hand too! Kinda obvious as I think we're here almost every week. Yay Mapo!! read more

Mapo Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Great bbq cooked by Good looking waiters.....reasonable price too. Will come back and Highly recommended

One of the worst kbbq places I've been to. I'm originally from NYC where it would have tons of places in queens to go to and this was a place that left me speechless in many ways. Overly priced for the small amount of meat they give you in a serving with few side dishes. Typically you wrap the meat with some veggies and dipping sauce in lettuce. They gave us a small basket that had 5 lettuces. There were total of 3 of us ordering more than one meat servings. When asked for more, the girl couldn't even understand what I said even when I pointed to the lettuce. She then said, it's $1.99 for another basket. Are you kidding me?!?! NONE of the Korean bbq places I've been to, has charged me for more lettuce!! The grill came with 3 separate areas where you would heat up/cook: eggs, cheese & corn, and bean sprouts. My sister said the eggs are not salted so she asked for salt. A guy came over and proceeded to TORCH the eggs until they were practically burnt.. why? At this point, we just wanted to get out of his horrid place on stomachs that were not even filled. When we got the check, I noticed they charged me $2.99 for the lettuce. Even though it's only a $1 difference, .. for LETTUCE, I told one of the servers and told them, we were told it was $1.99 not $2.99. It was rectified by the manager who seemed to have the only sense in that place. Maybe this place has better entrees rather than bbq,? But I had a horrible experience and will not recommend it to anyone unless you want to pay $$$ for the little meat provided and extra on lettuce. read more

I think this place is definitely my favourite to go for some good ol korean barbecue. Expect a wait if you're planning to go during dinner rush as it is quite popular. The atmosphere really adds to the experience as it resembles restaurants in Korea. You have to order a minimum of 2 meat for the bbq which isn't bad for 2-3 people to share. Their alcohol price is pretty reasonable as well with soju going for $17 per bottle. The quality of the food is better than most other kbbq places my friends and I have been to. They also offer complementary yogurt drinks to end your meal as well as febreeze to rid yourself of the bbq smell before you leave. I think little touches like these is what keeps us coming back. read more

Great meats, service is friendly and the ambience is awesome! There's a bit of a wait (Friday evening is when we went...around 7 pm) since they don't do reservations but well worth it. read more

Must try Korean restaurant. Prices are reasonable and the food quality is great. The manager is super friendly and has great recommendations. I came here with my boyfriend for late night KBBQ and have returned many times because of the cozy atmosphere and delicious food! I would definitely recommend the honey pork neck for KBBQ and try the pork bone soup. The cheesy corn that comes with BBQ s so delicious in lettuce wraps. read more

Mapo Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Korean BBQ is more of a treat for myself and my family so I wouldn't call myself a regular. That being said we do love the experience so it is often somebody's choice whenever a birthday rolls around. That was the case for my (now) 15 year old recently so I picked Mapo based on its good Yelp reviews and its location. It didn't disappoint. The service was excellent, the price was nothing extravagant, the low-key vibe of the place was on point and the food was delicious and enjoyed by all. It was pretty busy for a Monday night so I'll definitely make reservations if I am ever going there on a weekend (it isn't the largest restaurant to be certain). All in all, things weren't perfect enough to get a 5 star rating but they were more than good enough to garner a 4 star rating (I'd give a 4.5 if I could) and have me make this my new go to Korean BBQ spot. read more

Bad and slow service. The meat was overpriced but the service was the worst part. Had 3 servers cook our meat. First server was slow but was ok. We were afraid our meat may be burnt so we cooked the meat ourselves, and was told that she will cook for us. Ok that's great. The second server cooked another kind of meat but never came back after putting our meat on the grill. The third server came after 10+min and saw the meat was burnt but said nothing and didn't even dare to flip the meat around to show the burnt side. Never coming back again. read more

YUMMY!!! That's how I would describe it in one word. This place has amazing korean BBQ. The quality of the meat is top notch and the side dishes were ever flowing. They precook the meat slightly so that the cooking time on our personal barbecue didn't take that long. Weird to me at first since this was a BBQ place but I loved that since it meant that the food could GET IN MA BELLY a lot sooner. I'd recommend the marinated pork and beef galbi! Don't forget to pair it with yogurt or green grape soju! The one down side is, this place has a long line (because of its popularity) so be sure to go early or put down your name for a table reservation before strolling down the annex. read more

Mapo Korean BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I have been dying to try KBBQ with the cheese pull on the side!!! Finally, we had the opportunity, and I was pretty excited and had fairly high standards, having gone to a number of KBBQ places, both a-la carte and AYCE. First impressions, the place was pretty small and there was limited seating. Even on a Thursday night, I would highly recommend a reservation for dinner service. Once seated, it was kinda awkward for our group of 8 around two circular tables; unfortunately, our reservation didn't ensure a more comfortable seating arrangement. The menu is quite extensive and there's lots to choose from, from single dishes to combos for various cuts. Overall, I wasn't super impressed with the value of each meach and how much was given in each dish. We had to order a lot, both combos and individual dishes, and it wasn't enough for our table of 8. My issue with this business plan is that it isn't very competitive in terms of value compared to AYCE. The quality of each cut of meat wasn't that good; very comparable to the mass output at Chakos or Gyubee. Considering we paid more, for less value, why wouldn't I have gone to such? What added to this disappointment was that our KBBQ grill didn't heat well enough for the egg to cook in one compartment, nor did it melt the cheese :( Overall, I'll give a decent rating for service and selection. Value, quality and execution definitely wasn't on par. read more

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We have been on a several eating adventures looking for the best Korean bbq in the city and this is the one! We came here by chance while in k town and decided to try this place and was overwhelmed by the service and the food. I've never come across service so delightful. Our server was also the manager and he was the best. It was past midnight and he was so jolly and knowledgeable and gave us the best experience. The 3 of us shared Korean Bbq (beef short ribs x 2), seafood pancake and 6 bottles of soju. The short ribs were marinated so well. Seafood was light and crispy, good flavor. Banchan was super delicious, the pickle kimchee was my fav. After tax and tip it was only $60 per person. Awesome food, wonderful service and great prices in one place! Def recommend and will def come back. read more

Good food for a good price. Excellent service from staff and servers. The interior was very unique and it felt like we where on the streets of Korea having grilled meat. They served side dishes in varieties and they come with a soup of your choice. Overall we had a nice experience and would recommend to my friends. read more

One of the best Korean BBQ houses in downtown. Good quality food. The servers are super friendly and helpful! Will definitely go back again!

Very attentive staff who checked on your cooking and cooked for you which was rather unexpected. I like how the staff worked as a team. No one particular waiter looking after our table but it was constantly different people making sure that we had enough water, the meat was cooked properly, and oh, how nice that they even changed the grill plate for our second meat! Definitely different than my experience at the restaurant on Yonge. The quality of meat was great! I like how the meat was not pre-marinated with any sauce (due to my allergies to soy). I wish the corn cheese had less corn and more cheese. The only downside was the wait time. We waited an hour for our table on a Friday night. Would recommend getting there early if you don't want to wait. read more

I love this place. Food is good, service is attentive and friendly. Around 6pm though gets busy and you'll probably have to wait for a table 10-30 minuets. Specially on Fridays. read more

the quality of pork belly we ordered. it was so greasy after eating all those fats. dissapointed........ very. read more

Mapo Korean BBQ - the quality of pork belly we ordered. - Barbeque Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Great service! Great Food! Love the IU posters. Kinda pricey for the amount of food given. It was nice how they kept coming to help you flip your meat and cut it. Only problem would be the amount of food for the price. Still 4 stars tho. I recommend the honeycomb pork belly and beef thin skirt read more

They're food is delicious! Side dishes and everything else taste amazing. We ordered the bbq combo B and there was plenty of food. Not AYCE.

Fantastic service with great food. The Bucheon was great and the honey fermented samgyeopsal (a thicker cut of pork than the usual daepae samgeyopsal) was especially good. The expected parade of sides was present, including sauces snd leaves for wrapping, plus a choice of either tofu or soybean paste soup. It's shocking how many samgyeopsal places in Toronto get this wrong. Here however, it was perfect. A special mention of the decor: you really feel like you're in a place in a dingy neighbourhood in Hongdae. A great place for those wanting an authentic Korean samgyeopsal experience. read more

This place was busy and it took awhile to get seated. My friends and I ordered the ribeye, kalbi, and mushroom bulgogi for the Korean bbq. It came out quickly and the service was fast. So fast that it felt like they were rushing us off. Every time we lifted up our tongs, a server was right there cutting, flipping, and grilling our food. I was not complaining because it meant we got our food in our tummies faster. The ribeye and kalbi were so-so. Now, the bulgogi was magnificent. Great flavor and it grilled nicely. It was so good that I ordered the bulgogi off the menu that they cook for you because I was too lazy to grill again. Unfortunately, the stir-fry version had too many vegetables in it that watered down the marinade of the bulgogi. I definitely recommend the grilled bulgogi over the menu option. Strangely, they only gave one small bowl of soup with an order of three meat entrees. The banchan were great but they were very skimpy on the portions. They have one of the top 5 kimchis I have ever eaten and everyone at the table slaughtered it. So, we asked for a lot more kimchi because we loved it and would devour it once it arrived. They kept bringing two-bites worth on a tiny plate and said they wouldn't mind refilling. As soon as it arrived, we would eat it and want more but they were gone. I highly recommend this place based on the quality of its bulgogi, kimchi, grill service, and speed. read more

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I had an awesome time with my friends here and I'm still surprised they didn't kick us out (party because we knew the waiter), but the main point is the food obviously. We ordered a platter of different types of meat and it was actually quite pricey for what you get. Unfortunately, I didn't pay attention to exactly what price it was, but you could get more with AYCE than what you pay for here. However, all the meats were seasoned really well and everything was super tender. I appreciated that they gave scissors to cut up the meat to your liking. Side dishes were also really good and refillable although the steamed egg that they pour beside the grill was extra salty that I could not even swallow so that's a miss. We also ordered 6-7 bottles of soju which was priced at ~$17 so it added up quick on the menu. Overall, it's a great quality authentic kbbq with lots of good food and great interior. I'll be returning with my friends at another time! read more

Food was okay and service was decent. I give it only 2 stars because we saw the waitress drop a plate of meat and several pieces were on the floor. She picked it up, placed it back on the plate, then went on to serve it to the table next to us... read more

Came here on our 2nd night in Toronto based on the reviews but I left feeling very disappointed. We ordered 2 orders of meat, spicy rice cake and drinks. The way they set up the grill is very much like Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong but was not satisfied at all. The egg mixture is mostly water so you only got about a spoonful of egg and that's all of it. Corn cheese was not cooking at all. Staff was nice but very unattentive. Always chatting away with friends or on their phones. We were almost done eating our meat and my spicy rice cake was taking forever. I was patient because I figured since they are busy they were backed up in there. I finally asked after finishing our meal which by the way the waitresses were impossible to flag down since they were in the back on their phones. I asked how much longer it would take and all of sudden she remembered and told us she forgot and asked if we still wanted it. Well we were already done with our meal so I told her to just cancel it. Then she said oh I would give you a free appetizer but my boss isn't here so I can't. Then why bring it up? Never asked for free service or discount. So that was my first and last time I would visit here. Food was meh, banchans we're old and bland, drinks are expensive and service wasn't good. I gave an extra star for decor read more

I was in Toronto with my boyfriend. We were in Korea Town and looking for something to eat. We found this place that had really good review. The food was AMAZING, but the service... I don't usually say (write) this, but the damn service was too damn fast! We wanted to take our time and enjoy our meal, but each time a piece of food was taken, they would put some on the grill. 1. Why the hell would you touch my food. 2. I can take care of myself. They would always want to take some of the plates even when it wasn't even finish. Our meal lasted 20 min tops! read more

I'll start by saying that my husband's Korean, so we've had our share of table cooking over the years, and Mapo gives you the full experience of a fantastic Korean meal. It starts with traditional appetizers (unlimited it seems, they keep replenishing the ones we finish), then the do-it-yourself BBQ (or assisted if they see you're struggling), accompanied by this delicious corn and cheese mix, and an egg soup that cooks on the same table, then the tofu stew (which was the highlight of the meal for me, I've had many of its kind before but this one had so much flavour without being overly salty), finally finishing with the frozen probiotic drink. They have nice little touches like the salad and the yummy sesame oil mixed with salt and pepper to eat with the meat as well. We typically would order 2 rice bowls and a bottle of soju on top of everything; the total bill would be around $90 for 3 people. The portions are more than enough, I'm not sure who would complain about the quantity, we've been here twice now and both times, we've all felt so full from the meal. The manager is such a nice guy, who sets a great example for the rest of his team; they all work very hard and efficiently and you never see anyone just standing around doing nothing. Our 4 year old dropped his fork at one point during the meal and someone showed up a few seconds later with another set of cutlery, without us even asking for it, that's how attentive they are. One of them even saw how much our son enjoyed the dessert drink and gave him an extra one for the road. I love how small the restaurant is too, we just try to beat the dinner crowds to make sure we get a table. I cannot say enough great things about this place: amazing food, great location and one of the best customer service, this is a great dinner place for the whole family (even though its target client base is probably the early 20s crowd). If you're ever in Korea town in the evening, make sure you check out this place! read more