Order Minari Takeout or Delivery
Minari Photos
Business Info
Minari Popular Dishes
MINARI ATMOSPHERE
You might also consider
Recommended Reviews - Minari
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
We were disappointed to see a $1.98 "Administration Fee" appear on our bill. Restaurants should be up front about how much they will be charging, even if the additional charges will be small. They also charged $1 for two to go boxes. We recognize that it's a tough time for restaurants but feel that transparency on pricing is very important. Our visit to Minari was around 5pm on a Friday. There was ample seating, and we were seated quickly. Our server was friendly and made recommendations about the menu. The food was good. They served us six different types of banchan. We ordered a seafood tofu soup ($23), chicken bibimbap ($24) and chicken wings ($18). The seafood tofu had a wide variety of seafood and included a small piece of crab and a small raw egg. We also liked the chicken wings, which we ordered with the sweet chili sauce. There's street parking in front of the restaurant for $1.50 per hour. But if you walk around the block to El Camino, the parking is free.
Craving galbi, and this place definitely delivered! The meat was tender, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. Service was excellent--friendly and attentive. The restaurant is clean, inviting ambiance. It's a bit pricey for me, but the food and overall experience made it worth it.
Came and had our usual. It tasted better than the last visit and the last visit was delicious. We got our usual greetings from Gus and the friendly owner checking in is always a bonus. Our weekly or biweekly visit is always a highlight and an experience because of the Minari team. Until next time!
I came here as a party of two with my friend and ordered the cheese corn, spicy bulgogi, and the sundubu jjigae with beef here. I would say the bulgogi is sufficiently spicy and has a massive portion that makes it great for sharing family style! This was my favorite out of the three we ordered! I liked my sundubu, but the broth didn't have much of a anchovy/seafood taste to it? That seems like a minor nitpick, but the flavor adds a lot of depth that you can't really replicate otherwise with any other kind of broth or just water! The corn cheese was decent, this place will scratch the itch of Korean food if you've been craving it.
Pretty decent Korean food for the peninsula, I think there's places in the South Bay that are better value, but not bad at all! The banchan was pretty good - the daikon one was our favorite and had a really aromatic sesame oil flavor. The doenjang jiggae had really interesting maybe homemade tofu, but was a little too salty at the end.
Quality/Quantity - Small simple menu. Simple Banchans - See picture. Good, but expensive drink options, see pictures and their menu. Over ordered as usual: Today we did family style. Seafood Pancake - Okay, it would have been nice if they gave us scissors to cut this. Most Korean restaurants do that. At least it was NOT over fried this time. Veggie Tofu Soup - Small quantity, but that is normal for this soup in almost all Korean restaurants. This was done fairly well. Galbi - Several orders. My usual, of decent quantity, and the meat was fairly tender. Good flavors. Tteok-Bokki - A home run, but with small portions. Good flavors, but not spicy. Did this get ordered mild this time?!?! Galbi Tang - Several orders. Huge/generous rib. The flavors are good. Small soup though, not enough to share. But okay for today as we over ordered. I keep forgetting to order this for myself... Tteok Guk - Two orders, one with added mando for $5 more and one without. Not good or bad, not much to comment on. And too many orders of rice. Our guest wanted each person to have a bowl, even though I said that I can share a bowl as I am a light eater, pun intended. Grilled Salted Mackerel - This was actually good. Fried well. Two halves of a mackerel, see picture. Tofu BibimBap - Decent portions. Our light eater guests were able to take half home. Another dish made well. Banchans were okay, just okay - 6 different options. Had to ask for more as the portions were not generous. Overall, the food was okay. Atmosphere - Small local business. The parents (mom) cook in the kitchen while the grown kids take care of the front of the house. Semi private rooms, sectioned off with curtains. They were nice enough to give us one again. Table and bar seating. Open 6 days a week, from 11:30am to 8pm and on Sunday from 12pm to 7pm; closed Mondays. Service - This is where they struggled again, and it was not busy but the service still lacked. We had to ask for many things, and it was hit or miss if we got it. And at times, they said for me/us to ask someone else?!?! Several times, we had to walk to the kitchen to ask for stuff... Parties of 6+ need reservations which we had. Self service water. Well today they actually gave us bottles on the table. They can bring you tea. It took a while, but at least it was made fresh. Price - Our guests insisted on paying and I know it was probably really expensive today. Plus there was a mandatory tip due to our large party of 11. I bet the bill came out to $500. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success, and glad the 2nd generation is taking over. I wish you much success.
We went to Minari for a family dinner and had a wonderful experience. The ambiance, service, and most importantly the food were fantastic. I honestly ended up eating more than I planned because everything was just that good. After a few bites of each dish, I already knew we'd be coming back. The restaurant is very kid-friendly our 3-year-old happily ate almost everything we ordered. The doenjang jjigae was bold and deeply flavorful, the chicken kimchi fried rice was subtle yet delicious, and the pancakes were perfectly crispy. Portions are generous and served family-style, which made sharing easy. They also offer several vegetarian-friendly options, and our server was extremely attentive, making sure our dietary restrictions were well taken care of. Highly recommend Minari for a relaxed, family-friendly meal with excellent food.
Was craving Korean food but K Grill wasn't open yet, and I hadn't had Minari in a couple of years so wanted to give it another try. The food isn't amazing but it's passable. Not sure what it is but K Grill is definitely better. The service was excellent though! I probably wouldn't go back again anytime soon as it's not my taste for Korean food.
My last meal before I go back on my diet and it did not disappoint at all. Had a craving for korean food, and Minari had everything we were looking for. We ordered the Tteok-bokki, kimchi fried rice, 6 piece wings with the spicy sauce and the plain scallion pancake. The plain pancakes were my favorite! They were really thick, and had a nice crisp! Paired with the sauce, it was amazing. The Tteok-bokki was also really delicious! Perfect balance of sweet and spicy, and the mandu dipped in the sauce was elite! The kinchi fried rice was just okay. Our egg was cooked over hard, and I wish it was on the runnier side. It lacked any kimchi flavor, but still decent paired with our other dishes. The chicken was also just okay. The spicy sauce wasn't too spicy, and was also pretty sweet which I enjoyed. The wings were a really small, but they did give us extra, I'm assuming go compensate, which I appreciated. The fries were surprisingly also really good!! The workers were really kind and checked in on us throughout our meal. My only gripe with this place as someone that drinks abnormally large amounts of water when eating is that the water was self serve, and the cups are super small. I found myself having to constantly get up to refill my water, which wasn't a huge deal, just slightly inconvenient. I wish they provided a pitcher for each table, or a bigger cup. This is a great spot for Korean food, and I will be back!
We came again for a birthday dinner and found out they just started opening up Sundays the last 2 weeks. We over ordered for the 6 of us but most of the dishes were good. The short rib (galbi), bibimbap, and chicken wings were all good. We all thought the 2 tofu soups - veggie and seafood were excessively spicy, very difficult to eat because they were so hot as well as the pork dish. The cheese corn was OK but not something I'd order again. We received 4 bowls of rice with the order and asked for 2 bowls more and the charge was $3 a bowl. Service was iffy. I had to ask for an extra plate, serving spoons and no one refilled our water container. The wait staff checked on us a couple of times and she was friendly. We had lots of leftovers and asked for 3 boxes and a small container for the soup and was charged 50 cents per container. They close early around 8 PM so come early.
One of the best Korean restaurants I've been to. The staff is really nice and welcoming! The place is very clean and spacious! Really good feng shui! Had kpop music popping, but not too loud that interrupted our conversation. The food was really good! We got galbi (very tasty), tofu soup, mackerel and Kim chee fried rice. All delicious!!! Highly recommend this place! Will def be back!
Came into this place on a Friday and was seated right away. I love the family vibes of this restaurant. Our food was delicious. We honestly ordered anything on the menu that looked good, and it was! One note: they make their spicy dishes ACTUALLY spicy which I loved! But beware if this would be a problem for some. Overall a great meal, we left very satisfied!
Nice and roomy place. Mix of booths, tables, and bar seating. Guess I went at a slow time and was the only table so the service was great. Ordered veggie japchae, galbi, tteokbokki, and grilled mackerel. Japchae was good not as slick as some places but I liked it. Galbi had decent amount, party of three and we had some left over. Tteokbokki had a decent spice level to it. The rice cakes were a bit on the softer side so it didn't have the chewy, bouncy bit to it. Grilled mackerel was good. Came with two rice: one from galbi and one from fish. read more
Excellent service and delicious Korean food. Their dining area had oscillating fans to cool the area... I think their AC needs some TLC on hot days like today (May 31, 2025). The dining area could be a little cooler but it was a hot day. They served chilled Jinro soju and offered Chamisul flavored soju. They easily passed my bibimbap test where the hot pot was at the right temperature to lightly toast the rice. I requested an over easy egg which came out perfectly. The banchan selection was very delicious with decent portions. Appetizers feed about three people (or two hungry ones). 4 stars for my first impressions here. I'll definitely come back on my next trip. Jennifer and Gustavo provided excellent service!!! read more
2 years ago
Randomly pretty good for Korean food in the Bay? I always thought you could only find the better places further south, but happened upon Minari in San Bruno - much more doable of a drive from the city! We tried: - army stew + cheese added on (a necessity): a treasure trove of savory bites - so satisfying and comforting - seafood pancake - this was the star of the show for me; it was SO thick and they weren't shy with fillings. And the ratio of crisp:fluffy was still good despite the thickness. - the banchan were pretty standard (kimchi could be fresher) and as always, I demolished the potato salad Nice and spacious on a Friday, but of course complete with the presence of a group of ahjummas to validate authenticity hehe. read more
2 years ago
We joke that the Netflix hit "Squid Game" brought us to Minari (along with a couple other Korean restaurants in the span of a week), but the fact is, my group constantly craves comforting Korean dishes. At Minari, we ordered what I consider to be "the greatest hits" of Korean cuisine: -- plain pancake ($16): fluffy & fried scallion pancake, even more amazing when generously dunked in the sauce provided -- galbi ($38): some of the best-tasting Korean short ribs I've had -- ramyeon ($14 +$4 to add dumplings): the only item we wouldn't reorder, tasted too close to packaged ramen & the dumplings weren't the taste or texture we were expecting -- kimchee tofu soup ($20): did not try but I hear the broth was wickedly spicy with satisfying fatty meat pieces sprinkled throughout I would've loved to have tried their kimchee fried rice or bibimbap but we were at stomach capacity with our order, as it was. Something to look forward to next time, maybe after Season 3 drops! Sidenote: Thanos (aka T.O.P.) has my whole heart. read more
3 months ago
Minari is a new addition to San Mateo Ave. I've been to this restaurant on two separate occasions. The first time I asked for the vegetarian tofu soup - specifically asking for it to be made vegan. The kimchi is not vegan and contains fish sauce. The side dishes that were vegetarian are the broccoli, potato salad, and the seaweed. The broccoli was a little on the salty side and the seaweed pretty vinegary. The tofu soup, I asked for medium came more on a mild side. The second visit, I again asked for the vegetarian tofu soup to be made vegan. The waiter mentioned that this it is made of beef broth. I then explained that I had ordered it previously. He went to check and said that it would be made with water. In my experience, tofu soup made from water is not tasty. So did I have beef or water the first time? I decided to order the tofu bimbimbap, this was guaranteed to be vegetarian. Overall, service is good and attentive. Not entirely sure what is vegan / vegetarian as the servers are also unsure. read more
2 years ago
The restaurant is big, spacious and great for large groups. The portions are also generous so perfectly sized for sharing and hanging out with friends. Everything was adequately flavored and just the hearty warming foods that Korean food is all about. Especially on a cold winter day, would recommend visiting and sharing a stew/soup with someone. read more
Minari tastes like home but better, because their soondubu jigae is better than my Mom's. I got the spicy beef soondubu and loved it! It could have used a little more gochugaru but it was still flavorful and delicious. I also loved the mandu appetizer. It was perfectly crispy and the filling was well seasoned! The real star of the show was the banchan! They had my favorite seaweed banchan and my boyfriend's favorite Korean potato salad. Their kimchi was really good too! We loved it so much that we got seconds of everything and ate all of it up! The staff is so friendly and provided excellent service. Will definitely come back! read more
2 years ago
We stopped in right when it first opened. It was quite empty, but that was expected. Service was great. The dining space was clean and they had kpop streaming, I was delighted to hear BTS during my visit The waiter was attentive and made sure we were taken cared of the entire time. The food came out timely, one after the other so we could enjoy each as they came. I loved the banchan, especially the kimchi, spicy bean sprouts, and potato salad. We had two rounds, and the waiter was more than willing to add extra spicy bean sprouts since I told him I LOVED IT SO MUCH. We ordered the Kimchi Fried Rice. Seafood Pancake. + Galbi. The galbi was so good, the meat was not tough at all and so flavorful. The kimchi fried rice was cooked just perfectly. The seafood pancake was loaded with a variety of of seafood. It was pan fried so well, so the crisp was on point, even the center was cooked well. Definitely will be coming back for more. read more
1 year ago
Saw someone post this place, when i searched the map i realized how close it was so i had to check it out. I've gone twice so far and it's been delicious both times. I really enjoy the kimchi pancake. It has a nice crisp to it. The japchae is also great, probably the best I've had thus far. It comes out piping hot and freshly made. On the recent visit we tried ordering the wings but they were sold out. The meats are great too. I'm usually a big fan of galbi but the spicy pork was so good and flavorful. The prices are on maybe the slightly higher side and the servings at first looks just about right but I've always gone home with plenty of leftovers. Would recommend. read more
Came here on a Thursday evening at 6:30 with a couple of good friends. The place was full of patrons enjoying their food. Shortly after we were seated a line out the door developed. Many of the patrons were actually Korean so that is a good sign for a Korean restaurant. Well lit and appeared to be clean. Did not check out the restrooms so cannot comment on their cleanliness there. The dishes seemed to stick to the tables a bit but I think that might be due to the table clear coating. Service was timely, they checked in on us and promptly refilled our teapot when asked. Food was served hot and was tasty. The stew was a bit too spicy for me but was still yummy. The Galbi was tender and very yummy. read more
1 year ago
I truly love this Hidden Gem! 5 Stars Consistently Amazing Authentic Bibimbap, Ginseng Soup, Etc Quality for all items on the menu and service unmatched! I dont need to fly to South Korea for my favorites! read more
3 years ago
Stopped in for a meal if KFC and a seafood pancake. Both dishes were crispy and fresh! We got the 15 piece fried chicken and had it with spicy and sweet chili sauce. The spicy just had a mild kick and the sweet chili sauce is what you can pick up at an asian market but it was still good. The fries on the bottom were an unexpected bonus! I was mainly impressed with the crunch of the chicken because often it is served a bit soggy but they didn't overload the sauce. The seafood pancake had a decent amount of seafood and was thick. At first glance, I was disappointed in the size of the pancake but once we cut it, I realized it was a thick pancake. Again, the crunch was spot on! Everything was crunchy but not greasy. We had an infant with us so the server was kind enough to give us plenty of privacy and space. I loved the tea and the unhurried atmosphere. Will have to come back to try some of their other dishes! read more
Came here on a Wednesday for dinner and was craving some good Korean food! Good: - Fast service - our army stews came out in less than 10 min - Really cozy homey vibes here, wooden aesthetic - The army stew was SO GOOD - the portion sizes were amazing and also the dish itself was the best I've had - so many different ingredients. I especially liked the ramen, the fish cakes, and the spam. - The banchan that came with the entree were great too - had some brocolli and potato salad. Bad: - Pretty simple self service water place Overall this place was such a surprise and a gem! read more
2 years ago
I came here on a Friday night at 6pm with my sister. The restaurant had most of the tables filled but we were still able to be seated right away. The staff was really nice and brought us our banchan once we were seated. The banchan was good, and my favorite was the mashed potato, which is something I haven't had at other Korean restaurants before. The food was absolutely phenomenal! We decided to share two dishes - the army stew and Korean fried chicken, which we got in the flavors plain, sweet chili, and soy sauce. The food came out super quick, and I loved the presentation of both dishes. The army stew was flavorful, but the only downside was that it only came with two rice cakes. I wish it came with more. The Korean fried chicken was served steaming hot, and all the flavors were delicious. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the soy sauce flavor. It was not too salty and had a good umami taste. The sweet chili flavor tasted like a sweeter version of orange chicken marinade. It was tasty but definitely a lot sweeter than I had expected. The food was sooo good and we will be returning soon! read more
5 months ago
7 months ago
1 year ago
Service was excellent and the space is very spacious. Our server made sure to ask if we wanted more refills of the banchan which I appreciate and there was always someone readily available to assist. We ordered the cheese corn with bacon, seafood soondubu, and the army stew. I thought that my seafood soondubu was very bland and the one octopus in there was very hard. I would not recommend ordering that. I felt the prices are not worth the quality of the dishes. read more
9 months ago
8 months ago
3 years ago
I came on a Wednesday night with my friends and luckily it wasn't too busy. The servers are very nice and attentive to us. Water was self serve at a counter set up near the tables, and banchan was served to us prior to our entrees. My personal favorite is the potato salad. I ordered the Corn Cheese to share & Beef Tofu Soup. As a big fan of corn cheese, I wasn't impressed. I think the torched cheese made it a little too burnt, and the corn was a bit watery/soupy which diluted the flavor. The Beef Tofu Soup was great, it was a bit too spicy but I enjoyed it with my rice and took my leftovers home. I'm interested in trying the Bibimbap and other dishes on their menu next time! read more
This is probably my favorite LEGIT traditional Korean restaurant around the area. The food and ambiance is very "mom style home-cooking" which is exactly what I'm looking for. They offer tofu soup here but have so much more variety of soups and meat entrees! We ordered: Galbi Tang: SO GOOD...the meat is super tender and fall off the bone! Soup is just as delicious. Literally could not stop stealing my husband's dinner. Budaejjigae: AKA, army stew. I love how they make this for one serving. Usually, it is served for 3-4 people but this was the perfect amount. The level of spicy was medium but you can always ask to make it more spicy if you like! The owner Phillip provided amazing service for us. Will definitely be coming back! read more
After landing in SF, I was starving and CRAVING Korean food. Fortunately, this restaurant isn't located too far from SFO and was open. Walking in, the restaurant was pretty spacious and had plenty of seating. The ambiance was very lively and fun. My group and I each ordered an entree with a mackerel to share and everything was delicious. The portions were generous, food was flavorful, and everything was cooked to perfection. The only thing I would note however, was that service was very slow. There were a couple of times we were worried that the waiter may have forgotten us as we waited about 10 minutes before getting seated and waited near 30 minutes for our food to come out. It wasn't a huge deal, but I would keep that in mind for next time if I were to come again. read more
10 months ago
First time while visiting the area. The place is quiet and very clean. The servers are all welcoming and nice. We were so hungry so we were ready to eat some Korea. Food. Everything was great! Except for some dishes were either too spicy or was missing some extra spices. Overall experience was good, the price was a little high than other Korean restaurants read more
Had an amazing dinner here recently! It was a weeknight, but we luckily got in before a big rush came. On to the food! The four of us ordered a good amount of dishes, and they all were delicious! We ordered corn cheese, kimchi rice, galbi, bulgogi, and Korean Army Stew. Everything was super flavorful, and our group wound up full and satisfied! The service was great as well, and the food came out pretty quickly. I loved the K-pop soundtrack, too! I will definitely be back! read more
I really can't complain about anything when it comes to Minari. It's usually not hard to get a table here, the food is excellent, and the price is reasonable. Ample parking in the area, water is self serve and the food came out very quickly. I hope to come back to try more of the dishes on their menu! read more
1 year ago
Awesome food! We came by on a Saturday afternoon right when it opened but it quickly got busy soon after. The interior space is pretty spacious actually and I believe they have private rooms in the back?! (Please correct me if I'm wrong lol) Service: 10/10. Quick, friendly, and efficient. We got our food under 10mins Food: 9/10. Kinda wished they served fish cakes as part of their side dish but you do get generous amount of different side dishes as common for Korean restaurants. Spicy pork - Boyfriend thought it was pretty spicy and he finished all of it in one sitting so that already says a lot about how much he enjoyed it xD Ginseng chicken soup - We had this hoping it will revive us because we were both sick and woooowwwww. The soup tasted really delicious and the seasoning was perfect. It was most likely boiled for hours because every ingredient in it (garlic, ginger, ginseng) literally melted in our mouth. Chicken was SO tender and really flavorful too. Not to mention there was rice inside the kitchen so it was a hearty meal! read more
1 year ago
ARMY (are we) gonna ignore how STEWpid the GenZ slangs are? Like "Cheugy" really? CHEU need to think of something better. JKJK, didnt mean to call it stupid, just needed a STEW pun. Yo... not judging, but at least millenial slangs make sense. **Dining experience from 8/2022** .:: FOOD ::. Seafood Pancake $23: squid, green onion, octopus, shrimp in what SHOULD be a crispy pancake, but ours was just soggy and sad. comes with sauce but it was bland too. Korean Army Stew $25: sausage, spam, kimchi, rice cake, ramen. Just ok. I mean, it could have used more flavors. But it's just a comforting dish honestly. .:: Service / Ambiance / Parking ::. Our ajumma waitress was super nice. Was like a mom vibe. We got seated immediately on a random weekday night. Food came in a timely manner. The place is very clean minimal looking. Plays softer music in the background. Parking was not too bad on a weekday, its in downtown San Bruno strip. So plenty of street parking read more
11 months ago
This restaurant blew me away with great food and awesome service. I arrived on a Tuesday night about 45 mins before closing. This Korean restaurant specializes in soups and bowls, although they do have traditional bulgogi and fish. I opted for the hot stone beef Bibimbap which came out sizzling. I also ordered the seafood pancake which was super thick and full of seafood. The tastes and quality were as good as it gets. Of course I had to accompany it with some Soju . The Banchan (sides) are always my favorite part of a Korean meal. Gus , my server was super polite and very attentive and a great server. The dining area has wooden tables and wooden chairs, and maybe 4 TV's playing something different on each. I stayed past closing and felt no pressure to leave. Do not hesitate to give this wonderful restaurant a try. Next time I'm near SFO, I will be back. read more
Got the seafood tofu soup, which was just your standard tofu soup - their regular spicy tasted pretty mild. The ban chan was okay, not super good quality or taste. The wait was really long, and the restaurant wasn't even busy. Furthermore, the prices were exorbitant for the amount and quality of food. The ambiance was simple and pretty clean, so not bad. Overall, 3/5 read more
11 months ago
More info about Minari
449 San Mateo Ave
San Bruno, CA 94066
Directions
(650) 588-5559
Call Now
Order Takeout or Delivery
Start Order
Full menu
Hours
Payment methods
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
From the Business
More Info
Health Score
Minari Reviews in Other Languages
Ask the Community - Minari
Is it dog friendly?
Are reservations needed or recommended for a party of 3 on a Friday night?
Yes it's recommended to get a reservation
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
12 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
2 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
2 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
