Charlotte's Korean food scene is almost non-existent. I consistently heard that this place was the best place to come for Korean food in the area, so we finally made the trek to Matthews to check it out. Covid-19: you can order and pay online on their website. Our food was ready pretty quickly when we got there. We got a Seafood Pancake , Ddukbokgi , Jab Chae , and BiBim Naengmyun . The takeout came with bonchon too. These were all things I hadn't tried before and I loved them all. I think the Ddukbokgi was my favorite. I loved the texture. The Jab Chae was a little sweet and I loved the glass noodles. The Seafood Pancake was not at all fishy and very flavorful. The BiBim Naengmyun was good, but it was probably my least favorite. I've now realized that we ate it wrong though. Our takeout came with a partially frozen broth. It was packed with the bonchon so we thought it was a side. I now realize that I was part of this dish. The styrofoam container wouldn't have been the best to pour broth into either, so this could be a little logistically challenging with takeout. Overall, we loved our entire meal. We had leftovers and it was very reasonably priced. I definitely recommend checking out this hidden gem! read more

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This was an amazing hole in the wall restaurant attached to a little grocery store. The food was authentic, quick to arrive and absolutely delicious. We got the mandu appetizer, udon soup and soft tofu seafood soup. I cant fault anything, and really just can't wait to go back. Definitely grab some mochis from the grocery store on your way out :) read more

Excellent I always go to eat Korean dishes, service was good she was very polite, Ambiance is a family restaurant don't spect fancy place but is just right for what the do yummy foods! read more

PePeRo - Don't remember the name but is a lot of food. - Korean Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

October 2022. What's goooood yelpstafam. We hit up Pepero, which is directly attached to a small Asian grocery store, for some dinner noms and that shii was fire. We did a family style din and just shared a bunch of dishes. We started off with a hotpot thing, I forgot the name but it was really good - the broth was a good spice and had lots of stuff in it. The seafood pancake was good too - think of an crispyish, fluffy omelette with seafood, definitely would get this one again. Beef Bulgogi was okay in my opinion, but the spicy pork Bulgogi was very good. I think the texture of the pork was better - it was more firm and put together compared to the beef's, which was a little more stringy but it was still good nonetheless. The seafood soonduboo (soft tofu soup) was very good as well. Very much warmed our stomachs. Our server was attentive and quick as well. Will definitely be coming back here! read more

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A hidden gem. You literally would not know this is a restaurant if you were driving by, but there is some great authentic Korean food here. We started with the steamed buns, which are amazing; piping hot, fresh and a great balance of doughy goodness mixed with vegetables. Then ordered the Bibmbap, which arrives sizzling in a cast iron bowl like a Korean fajita. The ingredients are fresh, and the kimchi and hot sauce paired perfectly together. It was so good I forgot to take pictures of everything after the buns arrived. This will definitely be added to the rotation! read more

PePeRo - Korean Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

I personally really loved it and I'm usually not the biggest fan of Korean food. We got the sea food pancake and it was awesome

1 star for the terrible service. 1. We waited for our water for about 15 minutes, while other tables get their water very quickly. 2. While taking our order, the waitress, an ajumma, rudely pointed at my Discover card and told me the restaurant does not accept it. I put several cards on the table, including a Visa card which they accept. Was she thinking that I am going to run away without paying? That's ridiculous. 3. We normally tipped 15%-18% for party of 2. But today we were angry and tipped 12%. After I wrote down the amount and signed, the waitress picked up the merchant copy and stared at it as if she was doing the math right in front of us. I doubt whether she would dare to do that in front of other tables. read more

Great Korean restaurant run by a family! Having come here several times, what I have received was really great. Bibimbap & banchan, hot beef soup, scallion pancake, and bulgogi & sumgupsoul are among my favorites. Looking forward to return! Furthermore, the service is consistently outstanding and everyone is extremely nice. Pepero is great! I LOVE IT!!!! read more

The food was yummy! I just moved from Vienna, VA and craving Korean food. It was very satisfying! read more

PePeRo - Korean Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

This place is a hidden gem, it doesn't look like much from the outside but their food and store are out of this world. I had bibimbap with tofu instead of the meat and we also ordered a side of seafood pancakes. All the sauces and extra sides that come with your meal are extremely delicious. After dinner we shopped in the Korean store and bought som Soju and they had all kinds of different flavors, it was hard to pick but I ended up getting the peach flavor. Sooo good! Next time you are in the Matthews area, make that your stop! read more

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PePeRo is fantastic. My wife and I live in Providence so we're only about a 15 minute drive from the restaurant and it's been on our list for a while to try since we enjoy finding and visiting these hole in the wall type places. PePeRo did not disappoint in the slightest. It's located in the back of a grocery store and there were about 8 tables in a room that probably sat 40-50 people at one time. We went on a Sunday evening with a couple friends around 7 PM so we were able to snag a table easily. The ordering process was pretty simple! We grabbed a table, the lady came around with menus and water, and we pressed the button on the wall when we were ready to order and did so when we needed something throughout the meal! We didn't get TOO adventurous on this particular visit. We went with appetizers of yakimandoo, steamed mandoo, and ddukbokgi. The ddukbokgi was my absolute favorite since i'm a huge fan of rice noodles. The sauce they had the noodles and veggies in was super flavorful - so much that I was dipping other things into it as well. The Yakimandoo was very crunchy and came with another dipping sauce that was great. The steamed mandoo was pretty big but the filling was delicous. We got bulgogi beef and pork to split with our friends and both were inhaled by the table. The beef bulgogi probably could have been a little more saucy like the pork bulgogi but it was all still 5 out of 5. We'll be sure to expand a little bit outside of the norm next time we come, and we will definitely be back soon! read more

PePeRo - Bulgogi beef, pork, yakimandoo, steamed mandoo, and ddukbokgi - Korean Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

One of the best authentic Korean restaurants in Charlotte! It took me a while to check it out because I was on the other side of town, but now I've moved closer and it has become a staple. It was my partner's first time trying Korean and he absolutely loved the bulgogi. They give such good serving sizes as well. read more

PePeRo - Korean Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

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Attached to a market. Home cooked meal taste. Excellent. This place is a gem. Place was packed... and a line was developing. Service was quick and efficient read more

PSA My friend ate here and her food had broken black pieces of cement in it. Instead of remaking the food and apologizing, they took the bad food and served it in a new bowl. Then came out and told my friend that's how they eat in in Korea so what's your problem. Then turned to my Asian gf and spoke in Korean saying it must be nice to be married to a white guy, and your kids are half n half. Chef continued to humiliate my friend in Korean , screaming at her in front of everyone else. The chef is racist and downright should never cook another meal to the public again. She is crazy and needs to be FIRED. I will never again support this gross racist restaurant....... thanks for the crunchy plaster food and your screaming humiliating comments. Great entertainment too. read more

Traveling for work and my sister that lives in Charlotte recommended we go to Pepero. The restaurant is inside a Korean supermarket, there's not that many tables so it does fill up fast. It was cold that night so I ordered the soft tofu soup with seafood. It was very flavorful on its own, perfect to be mixed in with the rice it comes with. The banchan were excellent! My sister and her spouse both went for bimbimbap which they said it's awesome- they always get it. For appetizer we got the steamed mandoo which came out piping hot and delicious. Had enough of the soup for another meal. Service was good and accommodating. Will return if in the Charlotte area in the future! read more

PePeRo - Bibimbap, Seafood Soft Tofu Soup, steamed mandoo - Korean Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

This will be my last visit here. I came here and sat for 1.5 hours. 30 minutes to eat and an hour just waiting for my ONE togo order. We never got checked on once. There was a total of like 4 tables there. Only time we saw our server was when she took our order, dropped off our food and dropped off our check. I am a server myself so I understand. I paid my bill and left some extra for tip (obviously not as much as I normally do due to lack of service). As we're walking to the car, she comes running after us saying that we didn't tip her enough and needed to give her more. I have never been to a restaurant that chases you down for MORE tip. Definitely my last time here, food isn't good enough for me to overtip on service that I did not get. (This was from a year ago that I accidentally posted on another account.) read more

I love places that are considered "hole in the walls" and PePeRo is no exception. The restaurant is actually inside of a grocery store (or is it a grocery store inside of a restaurant?) Either way I'm glad I checked it out because everything I tried was delicious! The seafood soup, the mackerel, even the rice were piping hot and perfectly cooked and seasoned. You also get complimentary bon chon to eat along with your meal. They were busy so the service was a bit slow, but don't let that deter you from trying them out. Make sure you do some grocery shopping as well. They have taiyaki ice cream, an assortment of packaged noodles and even home goods. read more

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Authentic Korean dishes for such an affordable price! Definitely recommend the Pork Bulgogi with rice. read more

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Hello! It is sad to write this because my family have been coming to Pepero for 10+ years. My dad would always order the Galbi Tang to-go so I wanted to order that for him. When I got the order, the waitress gave me just the soup and nothing else. I usually don't know what goes with it but I do know that it comes with a box that has side dishes so I asked her why I didn't get any side dishes and she says you have to pay for it. I said but doesn't the galbi tang usually come with side dishes? And she says oh I thought you ordered dumpling soup. When she realized I ordered the galbi tang, only then did she give me the box of side dishes. When I got home my dad asked me where was the noodles and the rice that went with it? That is when I realized she didn't give us any of the rice and noodles either. I went back the next day to see if they can give us some credit for my money back but the only thing she said was oh she's new. And even if she did give me some rice and noodles, we wouldn't have anything to eat it with anymore. I just feel cheated and disappointed that they didn't offer a free appetizer or some discount as we always frequent the place and we always tell our friends to eat here. As a restaurant owner's daughter, that is NOT how you treat your regular customers. read more

Tucked away in a Korean grocery. I never knew it was here. Until a friend took me today.. Ethic Korean food. And so many options and varies. If you're looking for great customer service. Please go away.. They're pretty much a hole in the wall, cozy food with waiters that get you what you need. Straight forward.. Ordered: udon soup, seafood pancake, galbi, some more soup, rice sticks. Omg I can't even keep up. But all is good. My friend love some spicy food so she really enjoyed it. I don't do spicy but there's still many options for me.. I wasn't looking to die while eating All in all. It's all for people to know this place exist if they were looking for it.. and may be spread by mouth.. Whenever I want straight Korean food this will be my go too. read more

The food is amazing. The restaurant is small. Not fancy. I recommend you try this place. Lots of options for gluten and dairy free eaters. Entrees are a size for two people to share. read more

Oh my gosh...! So good ! I love the food especially the beef and the soup is so good whether spicy or really spicy..! Also a really cool food mart . I've tried the ice cream near the front register . Tasty.. will definitely try out different meals and buy some staples .. read more

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I can't recommend this place more. Authentic Korean food with great flavor and great spice. The banchan could use some work but otherwise pretty much anything on the menu I hear is solid I tried the spicy pork over rice. Was on the spicier side for me but delicious! I am coming back here again for sure :) read more

We were soooo happy to hear that this place is still currently open despite COVID-19!! They check your temperature at the entrance and seat customers at every other table. Their food is still as delicious as I remember. I tried their galbitang (which increased in price since I was last here, $11.99 now), which was absolutely wonderful. The portion size was perfect. It was very filling yet light. The broth was full of flavor. Came with a small bowl of rice and sides. Perfect for a chilly day. Hubby had the beef soft tofu soup, which was a bit spicy, but also full of flavor. Great soup options are available here if you're feeling under the weather. read more

Really, REALLY enjoyed my first PePeRo experience. And I say first because I know there will be many more to come. Since it was my first time trying Korean cuisine, I went for the classic, Bi Bim Bap, and PePeRo's Kimchi Pancake I've heard so much about. Both were fantastic! I got the Bi Bim Bap in the hot pot- the crispy rice texture really added something to the dish and I'd definitely recommend it if dining in. The friends who accompanied me also let me try their Steamed Mandoo and Ddukbokgi. Not sure if the Ddukbokgi texture is for me, but I'd still recommend anyone to try it just because it's so different from anything I've ever tried before. There's an awesome grocery area where I picked up some new snacks to try- will definitely be back for more of that as well! Can't say enough good things about PePeRo. If you've been sleeping on it like me, GO ASAP. read more

PePeRo - Kimchi Pancake - Korean Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

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Talking about a hole in the wall restaurant. I still remember coming here for the first time, it looks old and not attractive at all, however the food was excellent. (Looks a lot better now) This restaurant is located inside a Korean market, if you are not looking for a Korean BBQ, but looking for just more traditional Korean food this is the place to be. I liked the seafood tofu soup and seafood pancake, it brings me joy every time. I will recommend anyone to come here for food anytime. read more

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Maybe it's me, a self-avowed novice on Korean food. I thought the flavors in my Blood Sausage soup were muddled. Funky cabbage muddled. The place was exactly what my Yelp pals stated. Ed C, Abby L, Lori L, Taryn R, and Fleece P were all dialed in--it's a dive. A small Asian grocery is attached (note: use the side door). Of course I shopped there, too. Service was similar to most Asian, family ran establishments both here and abroad. Pleasant. Precise. Perfunctory. Just the facts, ma'am. I say "Give 'em a whirl," and see for yourself. There's more going on than a bowl of soup. read more

PePeRo - Sunji hae jang gook (blood sausage soup). Look at that pot boil! $10.99 with plenty to take home. - Korean Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

Authentic Korea food Great prices Fast and friendly service I will be back on my next trip to charlotte read more

I was looking for Yukaejang soup in the Charlotte/ Rock Hill area, and found this restaurant, an 'attached to the store' type of restaurant- which Ive always found to be the best kinds. So glad I came. Highly recommend. read more

This place is a true hidden gem. The food is outstanding. The service is amazing. The prices were affordable. Worth the 1 1/2 hour drive we made to get here. Will definitely be back. read more

Let me tell you how much I love pepero...I FREAKING LOVE PEPERO. Like I am ALWAYS craving pepero. If you see me on my death bed, just be like "hey magy, you wanna get pepero?" HELLZ YEH I WANNA GET PEPERO, HELP ME UP OUT OF THIS BED The whole place is just so cozy and homey and it's so cute! From the outside, you just seem to pass by it because it goes unnoticed. But half the family owned store is the restaurant and the other half is a Korean grocery store, which I load up on every time I go! WHEN I SAY I AM ADDICTED LIKE BRUH This is definitely my favorite restaurant in the Charlotte area! read more

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My boyfriend recommended this place and I was pleasantly surprised considering the restaurant is a kind of hole in the wall establishment and was part of a supermarket however the place was cozy and clean. The food tasted amazing and service was quick. We got the jajangmyeon, spicy squid, and seafood pancake which turned out to be alotttt for 2 people because the portions were hugeeee. It was super value and I'm definitely gonna come again whenever I'm in Charlotte. I was kind of hesitant due to recent negative reviews but the food was all super flavorful and savory. Everything was cooked to perfection! read more

PePeRo - Spicy squid - Korean Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

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So disappointed. wait time for food was too long. Side dishes were minuscule. I ordered the dolsot bibimbap and there was little to no beef. They charged gratuity on a table of five. the decor was not pleasing either. not the best korean place. read more

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The best Korean restaurant in the area. The beef bulgolgi and mandoo are a must. We tried the bussam for the first time and it was delicious. The service is always friendly and fast, they are very accommodating. read more

Eggshells in my Seafood Soft Tofu Soup we asked her nicely if we get a new one because there were too many eggshells in this soup and just took the pot away without a word and roll her eyes. When she came back with the second one it was not as good as the first one. Afterward, she never come back and talked to us. She give us our checks and come to check how much we tip her after seeing her tips she was happy and smiling. So awkward read more

PePeRo - Egg shells in my Seafood Soft Tofu Soup - Korean Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

No frills authentic Korean! Must try. Loved the kimchi short rib soup, it was SPICY. The bimbap bowl was delicious, too. Need to peruse the market section sometime. read more

I wish there was more Korean food in the Charlotte area. I am used to having many options back in Northern Virginia. This place is a little far for me, but it was good and authentic. Nothing fancy, but good food. It has many of the usual foods found at Korean restaurants. The bulgogi and spicy bbq pork were good. Not fatty, like some restaurants. The soybean paste soup with pork and jap chae were also good. It you like Korean food, this is a good place to go. The small attached grocery is also good for certain korean/asian ingredients. read more

Portions are generous. Wait time is long but worth it. Hidden gem and best Korean food in Charlotte.

While the food at PePeRo was everything I was hoping it'd be and more, the real standout was our server, Aliyah. She horsed around with us all lunch long, cracking jokes, giving out high fives, and making spot on suggestions, including "stop drinking so much water -- you'll pee the bed!" Our group of 3 dinners ordered a small kimchi pancake to share and I ordered the pork bul go gi. The pancake, despite getting the small, was huge! We all did our best to make a dent and still left 2 pieces behind. The pork bul go gi was delicious! It was spicy but the rice it came with helped cool my mouth down. I'm going to have a hard time not ordering the same thing every time! My friends ordered the bi bim bob and jab chae. I tired and liked both. We also had an assortment of little side dishes. Some were identifiable (is that meat or tofu?!?) but all were tasty. My favorites were the seaweed (which we incorrectly pegged as spinach at first) and bean sprouts/curd. Be sure to spend a little time wandering through the attached market either before or after lunch. I spent a good 10 minutes ogling all the foreign-to-me items and went home with some cookies & cream pocky sticks that were a perfect, sweet treat after that spicy pork! read more

PePeRo - Spicy pork bul go gi - Korean Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

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Amazing! Super authentic. I had the dol sot bibimbop. The hot bowl made the rice so chewy and crispy. Can't stop thinking about how good it was! read more