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La Quinta, CA

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Maru

3.9 (422 reviews)
ModerateBarbeque, Korean
Open • 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM

Order Maru Takeout or Delivery

Maru Photos

MARU ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - Maru

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YES!   They have a Server Robot !
Kimberley K.

I'm not really sure I can wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant for Korean food. I'm not a Korean food "expert "... but I'm SURE the flavors could be so Much MORE. Years and years have gone by whereby I've dined at various Korean restaurants all over the US and in Korea itself ... and as a non-Korean person I can say that I have a clue as to what these dishes are supposed to taste like. There is something missing in the flavor(s) profile here .... And I can't quite put my finger on it ( scratching head ) You can also smell it in the air when you walk into the restaurant .... It's heavy in the grease coming from the kitchen ... Come and taste the food for yourself .. maybe you can shed some light on it

Kimchi pancake
Dave E.

Maru is actually good kbbq in the middle of the desert. Honestly, really impressed. We're from LA and surrounded by tons of spots and Maru is better than a lot of those. Ordered the stir fried squid which was really delicious. Great flavor, we loveeee squid. The tofu soup was really good too. Love that they give an egg to crack on top - that set it apart and took it up a level. The kimchi pancake was decent too, but not as crispy as I usually like it. Side dishes hit the spot! Especially the fish cake. When we ran out, they quickly brought more. Highly recommend Maru. Amazing service and great atmosphere. The best kbbq in the desert!

Robotic server
Laureen O.

Place is clean and bright. Japchae was good but very small portion. If you are only interested in BBQ this place is ok. They are not authentic as they are not giving you the lettuce to wrap the BBQ in. The Ban Chan was ok. Dumplings were dry and over cooked. Fried chicken was ok, a little heavy on the breading. Will have to think about coming again as it' has a limited menu of Korean food.

Marinated beef and sides
Sheila W.

Great little find. Large menu with lots of interesting things to try and prices are quite reasonable for the quality. Each dish comes with rice and five sides. I had the marinated beef which was very tasty. Love the robot server too.

Inside the restaurant.
Patrick J.

This is our go to Korean place in the desert. The quality is quite good and we are from the Bay Area. The service is good and the place is clean.

I ordered Suduabu with meat. This is the meat that you get for $20. Worst Korean that I have had in a long time.

No good. Not going back. Bon Chan is lacking flavor except for the cucumbers. Tofu soup was very small with indescribable meat bits.

Side dishes yum
Allee S.

Grabbed a to-go order.. was craving tteokbokki. First time here, smelled really good when I walked in and the hostess and quick to greet me me. My order was ready in 10 minutes I was pleased! The tteokbokki was a bit watery but flavor was there. I forgot to snap a pic but I also ordered the squid, it was very good. Next time I'd like to dine in!

Ixchel T.

So so so good Clean, attentive, food fresh and tasty, and that plum wine in crystal glass

Sign
Jimmy D.

So glad to find the 'real deal' Korean food in the desert. They have a diverse menu and the taste Was Spot on. Very fair prices. Nice staff. Nice atmosphere. I hope to come often. Happy wife--happy life.

fried chicken wings

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8 years ago

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13 years ago

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6 years ago

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3 years ago

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8 years ago

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6 years ago

Food was amazing and service was great. They have a server named Kai who's super dope and a good conversationalist. Coming back again soon

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7 years ago

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3 years ago

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7 years ago

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6 years ago

Love this spot! Amazing galbi to go during the pandemic. Love their japchae as well! Owner is super sweet.

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6 years ago

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12 years ago

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9 years ago

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8 years ago

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11 years ago

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6 years ago

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8 years ago

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12 years ago

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5 years ago

It is closed, for remodeling. Cannot you update the hour and avoid people from finding out in person?

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9 years ago

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6 years ago

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

We had our team dinner and it was perfect! I am definitely coming back. This atmosphere is very welcoming. Very good for big groups.

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7 years ago

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6 years ago

Pretty great service been here a few times just a bit more pricey compare to other places but still pretty good

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7 years ago

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9 years ago

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7 years ago

Delicious food at an affordable place. The service is fast the waitresses are friendly. I would reccomend this place

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7 years ago

Ordered the Beef Bulgogi and Bibimbap off the lunch menu. Good food, fast service!

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Page 3 of 11

Maru Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Maru

Are they open?

Yes... For Take out & Patio Dining... They close at 8pm but the last call is 7:30pm.

Does this restaurant have the grills at the table or do they give it to you?

They have them at the table.

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You Grill Korean BBQ - Spicy pork belly

You Grill Korean BBQ

4.1(554 reviews)
1.1 mi
•$$

This has been our spot since coming to La Quinta. The staff is super friendly and the menu…read moreprovides a big variety to choose from. And you even get ice cream. When crowded it gets a little noisy but everyone is grilling their meats.

Not really sure what the hype is about this place. I see what everyone reviewed, but coming from LA…read morewhere it's the home to Korean bbq, the review here are misleading because there are so many good reviews but the reality is - it is the worst KBBQ I've ever had in my life. The beef is not fresh, nor is it the best cut. Once on grill, it's dry, unflavored, and their seasoning are basic seasoning you see at a diner. Soy sauce, salt, and chili. Their marinated kimchi, seaweed and soybean sprouts are not really flavored and just tasted boiled and watered. Their steam egg was burnt, the spicy tofu soup was chopped tofu, with ketchup and siracha. As someone who is a Yelp elite and also go to various Korean bbq places outside at middle of no where. I'd rate this place a 0/10 if I get the chance. The servers don't really check up on you. They play country music and the lights are so bright it's awkward. The men bathroom looked like it hasn't passed the public health code for a few years now and truamatizing. Would not recommend anyone who knows kbbq to come here. It's awful. I couldn't really even eat past 1 dish of meat. A lot of tendon nonchewable otherwise it's just dry.

Photos
You Grill Korean BBQ - Inside

Inside

You Grill Korean BBQ
You Grill Korean BBQ - Spicy Rice Cake; this was way too watery and tasted like Tapatio

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Spicy Rice Cake; this was way too watery and tasted like Tapatio

Katsuyama

Katsuyama

4.1(376 reviews)
4.8 mi
•$$

Located in a shopping plaza. Got the Tori Katsu chicken cutlet set and a spicy tuna roll…read more The chicken katsu was done right. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and not greasy. It came together perfectly with the sides and felt like a complete, comforting meal. Everything on the plate tasted fresh and well prepared. The spicy tuna roll was a nice addition. Clean flavors with just enough spice, and it balanced out the richness of the katsu. The restaurant has a calm, casual feel and it's easy to sit and enjoy your food. Staff was friendly and attentive, and service was smooth. Definitely a spot I'd come back to when I'm in the mood for a solid Japanese meal.

We came in for lunch and ordered two katsu ramens, one mild and one spicy. When the food came out,…read morethe server placed the bowls down without saying which one was which. I ended up giving one to my 3- and 5-year-old kids, thinking it was the mild one. After a few bites, they started complaining that their mouths were burning. I tasted it myself and realized they had been given the spicy ramen--the one that was supposed to be for my husband. Then we waited even longer for the other order, only to receive a shrimp and noodle dish that we never ordered. At that point, we were already starving and had waited so long that I just decided to eat it and share it with the kids rather than wait even longer. The food itself was nothing special. The shrimp was fried, but the noodles tasted like regular packaged ramen, and the broth was bland. I couldn't really taste much of anything, and for the price, I expected a lot more. We spent about $90 for two soups, one sushi roll, and a drink. For that price, the food and service should have been much better. Between the order mix-up, not being told which ramen was spicy, the long wait, and the mediocre food, this place definitely did not live up to the hype.

Photos
Katsuyama - Inside restaurant

Inside restaurant

Katsuyama - Cheese Galbijjim

Cheese Galbijjim

Katsuyama - Inside

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Inside

Da Chef Noodle

Da Chef Noodle

3.7(447 reviews)
3.0 mi
•$$

I had given up on any sort of decent "Chinese" from any region here in the desert. Then I came to…read morehear about Da Chef Noodle. It was very good! I'll be going back for sure. By was of background, I lived in San Francisco and it's suburbs for more than a decade where I learned about Northern Chinese food, Szechuan and Hunan primarily. I also lived for many years at the US/Canadian Border with a short drive to Richmond (Southern Vancouver) BC where Hong Kongese and Cantonese are the rule, as so many Hong Kong citizens were allowed to immigrate to British Crown Colonies when it reverted back to Mainland Chinese control in '99. So, I like to think I know a reasonable amount about the food from those regions. And I can say Da Chef is on point. Besides the food the service was excellent. The decor was fine, nothing fancy, but clean and bright.

I usually don't eat Chinese food since I'm spoiled by Chinese foods in la, however I decided to…read moregive this place a try , everything was great the noodles were little over cooked I can see they try to make it easier for older folks to eat, ima just ask for firm noodles next time , orange chicken was a little heavy on the batter but everywhere has its own style duck noodle soup was great nice and light broth, gyoza was nice and crispy, and fantastic service nice and clean ambiance.

Photos
Da Chef Noodle - 1st time visiting this place.

1st time visiting this place.

Da Chef Noodle - AWESOME ARRAY OF CHINESE FOOD!

AWESOME ARRAY OF CHINESE FOOD!

Da Chef Noodle - Eggplant pot with beef

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Eggplant pot with beef

Flame Broiler

Flame Broiler

4.2(94 reviews)
3.5 mi
•$

The "Fastest Sister" in the Desert…read more Listen, I don't know what kind of temporal magic they're practicing at this Flame Broiler, but I'm pretty sure they start cooking your bowl before you even realize you're hungry. I've had "instant" noodles that took longer than the 5 minutes it takes to get my food here. It's the ultimate win for anyone who is perpetually hangry. The "Sister" Vibes The secret sauce isn't just in the bottle--it's Veronica. Walking in doesn't feel like walking into a franchise; it feels like walking into your sister's house for lunch. The customer service is so warm and genuine that I half expect her to ask me why I haven't called our mom lately. Whether you're calling it in or strolling through the door, the service is consistently top-tier. Cleanliness is Next to... This Place I've been in "fine dining" establishments that aren't as tidy as this spot. The dining area and restrooms are immaculate. You could practically eat your chicken bowl off the floor (though I'd recommend using a table, because they have plenty of those, and they're actually clean). The Perks (Not an Ad, Just a Fan) Pro-tip: Sign up for the rewards program. I am not sponsored (Flame Broiler, call me?), but the little freebies and goodies you rack up are a total game-changer. Since you're going to be eating here three times a week anyway, you might as well let the perks pile up. It's basically like getting paid in deliciousness to do something you were already going to do. The Verdict: If you want amazing food, lightning-fast speed, and a vibe that makes you feel like family, this is the Indio go-to. Can't go wrong with the Flame Broiler. 10/10, would bowl again.

I am absolutely amazed by this place! on top of the food…read morebeing so darn good. It feels so comfortably clean to eat there all thanks to one of the workers by the name of Alicia. She just had the most amazing attitude from the moment we got there with great customer service she knew exactly how to help us on Deciding what to eat since it was my boyfriend's and I first time being there. She made this experience very pleasant even though it was an hour before they closed she never let that get in the way of her serving her customers with a positive attitude. Thank you Alicia for keeping this place so nicely organized and clean.

Photos
Flame Broiler - Inside

Inside

Flame Broiler
Flame Broiler

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Maru - bbq - Updated October 2026

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