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    Peppa's Korean BBQ

    3.8 (304 reviews)
    ModerateKorean, Barbeque
    Open 10:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Peppa's Korean BBQ Photos

    Business Info

    PEPPA'S KOREAN BBQ ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Reviews With Photos

    Meat Jun
    Regina L.

    I am obsessed with their meat jun, that's all I could think about during the rest of our trip in Oahu. Their portion sizes are hefty, the service is quick and the food is DELICIOUS. All of the banchan is amazing as well. It's a short drive away from Waikiki, away from the tourists. I cannot recommend this place enough.

    Closeup of mini spicy pork
    Jo Y.

    Opened in 2002 by owner Chong Hon Kim, Peppa's Korean Barbecue in Makiki was a homegrown Korean plate-lunch eatery intended to bring authentic Korean-influenced barbecue and plate lunch meals to a wide cross-section of the community. Although Yummy Korean BBQ had been around in Honolulu in 1986 and known for its casual, affordable veggie filled plate lunches, Peppa's had their spicy dishes that made people think of the Peppa's name, e.g., spicy pork, bulgogi (salty & spicy), spicy fried chicken, tofu soup, and spicy chicken wings. Owner Kim expanded Pepppa's to a 2nd location in the Kam Shopping Center in Kalihi in 2001. This review is for the original Peppa's in Makiki. The restaurant serves comfort food of plate lunches (kalbi, bbq beef/chicken, meat jun, bi bum bap, soups); noodles & soups; curries; local specials (loco moco, hamburger steak, chop steak, chicken katsu, spicy pork hokki katsu); specials (fried chicken wings, fish jun, fried mundoo, seafood); and combos of the above. They also offer mini plates, an extra value meal, and catering services. I've tried the following: * Spicy pork. While the pork is mildly spicy, it is very flavorful due to being marinated prior to grilling. No complaints. * Kalbi. Perfectly marinated as how kalbi should be. I would order this every single time if I could. * BBQ chicken. Huge skinless thighs, marinated like the other meats, and grilled/charred to perfection! While I enjoyed the bbq meats above, what I found also outstanding were the selection and quality of their banchan selections, which is different from other similar Korean restaurants. They are about 12 different banchan selections available, and I have tried the following: * Korean shoyu potato. The cut potatoes are huge, probably from baking potatoes, and they are perfectly cooked (and not still raw or mushy from overcooking) with the right amount of shoyu and seasoning. * Egg omelet roll. Mixed with bits of green onion and carrot, the omelet is rolled as in Japanese cuisine. You certainly don't find this in other Korean takeout restaurants. * Choi sum. Marinated with the right amount of sesame oil and other seasonings, it is cooked flawlessly. * Chop chae. Long rice mixed with long green beans, carrots, cabbage, and onions, with the right amount of seasonings, and it is delicious; one of the best of I've had! * Kim chee cucumber. Crunchy and spicy chunks of cucumbers and onion slices, a perfectly made dish! * Eggplant + veggies. carrot, onion, bell pepper. Never saw this elsewhere before, but this unique veggie dish had its own special marinade that sets Peppa's apart! I came the right day to try this out! I have yet to try their tofu, cabbage/carrot, mac salad, kim chee, and bean sprouts banchans, and if they are any indication of the above, they should be excellent as well. Note that for the regular plates you get 4 banchan selections (5 selections if no rice), and for the mini plates 3 banchan selections (2 selections if no rice). While restaurant prices have increased everyhere, Peppa's higher prices are still reasonable for the generous portions that you get. At least that's what my adult son says, as he visited here twice in the last few years and ordered takeout on his own from Peppa's, remembering his favorite Korean eatery. Staff is friendly and efficient. While all orders are made to order, the cooks are working as fast as they can, as your orders are ready within minutes! The restaurant interior is bright, spacious, clean, casual, and cozy. There are about 4 tables with chairs for indoor dining, although most diners opt to take out. While I was waiting for my order, there was a steady stream of customers coming in to order. Many are apartment/condo dwellers who live nearby, and many attend UH Manoa, Roosevelt High, and Punahou schools. Hours of operation are from 10:30a to 9p daily. Located in the Makiki Shopping Village next to Village Wine Center and Subway, free parking is available in the private lot that is shared with other businesses. I was impressed by this popular, long-standing Peppa's, as they're known for their fast service, generous portions, reasonable prices, delicious marinated grilled meats, and variety of tasty banchan items! Yes, I'll definitely be back! Support local!

    Bbq chicken and mandoo mixed plate.
    Caitlin C.

    Been going here for a decade and a half and it's still good. My friend used to work there when I was younger and always stacked the sides so when she left I stopped going for a while cuz I felt like I wasn't getting as much lol. But I recently went back about a month ago and forgot how good it was. Their plates are SO FULL and their sides are better than Yummy's and Pearl's imo. One plate usually lasts me a few days, so it's worth it even with inflated prices. It's always busy when I pass by and the food comes out really fast. Best place to get food from in Makiki Plaza. Lots of places to sit inside too it's always lively in there. I never see people sitting in L&L or Sushiman haha.

    Mandoo
    Kylie S.

    Had the meat Jun and bbq chicken plate. Meat Jun was good, meat was pretty thin and tender and the breading was light--not too heavy. However, the breading did fall apart pretty easily. BBQ chicken was marinated well and was very tender. Sides were great, I had the shoyu potato, Mac salad, japchae, and kimchi cucumber. Shoyu potato and Mac salad were yummy! Kimchi cucumber was a little too salty for me. Mac salad had a bit too much mayo. I also had a side order of mandoo which was good! Took some home for dinner and stuck them in the air fryer and they were just as good as new.

    Mini spicy pork
    Deborah P.

    My husband saw some yelpers reviewed this place so after a pick up at Walmart we went there to buy lunch and dinner. I ordered mini meat jun and my husband ordered mini spicy pork. The meat jun if you like egg batter then this is for you I like a lightly egg batter dipped on the thinly sliced meat. The egg batter was heavy. The spicy pork my husband said had a good charred taste but lacking the spice level. The banchan was ok I tasted better. 2 mini plates and 1 plate of bim bim kook sou cold noodles cost about $52.00 plus tax. If you in the Makiki area this is located at the makiki village shopping ctr.

    Entrance
    Gabriel P.

    After doing a pick up order from Walmart we decided to try Peppa's. Located in the Makiki Village Shopping Center. It's the first business on the left as you enter the parking lot. Got lucky and had a hadicap stall right in front of Peppa's entrance. The restaurant had a clean and open feel. A few tables for dine in. Service was pleasant. The food came out fast. I ordered the mini spicy pork and my wife had the mini meat jun. We also ordered the bi bim kook soo for dinner. My wife said that the meat jun had a thick egg batter. She prefers a lighter batter. My spicy pork was tender and had a light char which I like. Flavor was ok but the heat wasn't there. The ban chan that I ordered was ok for fast food. Enjoy

    Irene M.

    Hungry deals... Craving a bit of variety Peppa's Korean BBQ is a great place to take care of everyone's palate as every plate comes with our favorite banchan choices and isn't that really part of the fun is that you're able to make the choices. Peppa's Korean BBQ is located in the Makiki Shopping Village an old school place that's home to many places for the neighboring area or for folks like me who just have a sudden craving and with lots of free parking in the back or as I got luck to grab one right beside the restaurant grabbing a take out plate was so easy and convenient. Service here is fast and friendly as I decided on the kalbi and chicken combination which comes with four choices of sides or what I do is no rice and I get an additional choice of side making it a five choice and gosh the load it comes with is quite hearty is putting it mildly. Not only that it came with a couple of huge pieces of kalbi and chicken (which was a bit salty for my personal preference) but a couple of mandoo as well which makes this plate totally shareable as finishing this solo is quite the impossible task. The vibe here is nice with a few tables for you to enjoy your plate on the spot but taking this plate home is the best option for your food coma to set in as this comfort food is very real and settled my cravings as well. Thank you!

    Peppas Special! Kalbi, bulgogi, bbq chicken and 2 mandoo.
    Todd M.

    Plates are packed! Food comes out fast and everything is delicious. Their egg they offer as banchan is sooo good. Just like okazuya type egg. Love this place!

    Fried chicken wing plate
    Dub C.

    Neighborhood Korean BBQ plate lunch place. Everything here is $17-18 atm , except the Kalbi plate which is $25. All the plate lunches include 4 side dishes/veggies. Generous portions here. Still a solid place.

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    13 days ago

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    3 months ago

    The portion of food served on your plate is perfect, tasty and the sides are made fresh.

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 months ago

    Disrespectful workers and food overall taste bland. Horrible experience and will never come back again.

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    5 months ago

    Great place for plate lunch food always hot and fresh and a lot to eat and a lot of parking in the little mall

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    3 months ago

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    6 months ago

    Food was very good and plentiful. Store was clean and food was awesome especially the amount and sides were very good.

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    6 months ago

    Great place to get your Korean food to go, great taste and great portions. Been patronizing business for years.

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    Page 1 of 8

    Peppa's Korean BBQ Reviews in Other Languages

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    Hangang

    Hangang

    4.4
    (372 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$$
    Locally owned & operated
    Certified professionals

    One of the best Korean KBBQ I have been to! I love it when the servers cook your meat for you vs…read moredoing it yourself so that was a big plus for me. The meat itself was super tender and tasty. In addition, the kalbi ribs were tender and they had huge portions. I keep thinking about this place and cannot wait to return when I'm in Oahu. Please try Hangang out!

    I came here on a Saturday night and they were pretty busy. Luckily for us, we made a reservation so…read morewe were seated fairly quickly. We went with the Prix Fixe Menu of the 9 courses, for $70 per person. First we were given the banchans. They have A LOT and I love banchans so it was a great start to the meal. I wonder if you could get refills on the banchans like many other KBBQ spots... I didn't get the chance to find out as I was STUFFED by the end of my meal. The steamed egg also came fairly fast, they offered to serve it for us which we took up on that offer. Then we also received the kimchi pancake. Here is what I'd note, I am a bit confused on the portion sizes. As the prix fixe menu is per person, shouldn't the dishes and servings per person? Like why would the kimchi pancake be one and shared between two? As well as the egg? We then got all of the various cuts of the meats. Everything was good and quite enjoyable. We also had a choice between soup (soybean or tofu) and cold noodles (reg or spicy). We both chose the spicy cold noodles. It was very good and a refreshing side to pair with the KBBQ. We were honestly stuffed by the end of our meal and enjoyed it all. Despite my slight concern/confusion regarding the serving/pricing, I would possibly come back. Although I usually go for an AYCE kbbq spot as it is definitely more worth it value wise.

    Photos
    Hangang
    Our lunch side dishes
    Our lunch side dishes
    Combination B -- $95.95

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    Combination B -- $95.95
    Jagalchi

    Jagalchi

    4.0
    (525 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Came to Jagalchi on a Friday night closer to 7pm without reservations for a party of 7. We had to…read morewait around 15 minutes for a table. They have free parking in the small lot right outside their restaurant, but there is also paid parking across the street. We were lucky, and people were leaving as we got there. For 7 of us, we got the rabokki, meat jun, half order of bossam, and kimchee pancake. This was more than enough food for everyone, and we probably would have skipped the kimchee pancake next time. The food was really good, and I would definitely recommend the bossam if you're with a group. The meat is super soft and flavorful, and even the half order was a generous portion. We also ordered the lemon soju and yogurt soju pitchers. They have tablets for you to order the food, which was super convenient. The food comes out pretty quickly, and the service is friendly. Overall, would recommend here for good Korean food and fun vibes.

    I went in on a Friday evening for dinner and it wasn't busy. There is ample parking available in…read morefront of the restaurant and on the street. The restaurant gives off Korean pub vibes, decently sized, and best suited for smaller groups. We ordered a variety of food: chicken combo, kimbap, bulgogi, bossam, and spicy rice cakes. The food was very delicious. My favorite was the bulgogi because it was tender and flavorful. I also enjoyed the spicy rice cakes, but I wish they gave a bigger portion of it.. The chicken was okay, but not something I'd order again. The spicy sauce was drenched all over the chicken and was very spicy. The regular crispy chicken didn't have enough salt for me and was overcooked.

    Photos
    By the time we were ready to leave, the restaurant started to get more crowded.
    By the time we were ready to leave, the restaurant started to get more crowded.
    Bulgogi bibimbap
    Bulgogi bibimbap
    We went early, so the restaurant was pretty empty.

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    We went early, so the restaurant was pretty empty.
    Kyung's Seafood

    Kyung's Seafood

    4.4
    (1.1k reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    I honestly hadn't been back to this place in a long time because of the lingering fish smell it…read moreused to have. However, since I was in the area, my partner and I decided to give it another shot...and now I'm hooked In fact, I went three times last month. Not only is the food amazing, but the service is on another level. Everyone is incredibly friendly and welcoming. I highly recommend calling ahead for reservations. My go-to order is always the poke and kalbi, and the third dish depends on whatever my partner is craving that day. Parking can be a little challenging, but I promise it's worth it. Everything we've tried has been absolutely delicious. If I could, I'd eat here once a week! It's currently my partner's and my favorite spot. 10/10, highly recommend!

    We are extremely disappointed with our recent experience…read more We've been loyal customers and typically eat here twice a week whenever we're on assignment on the island in the last five years. We have also left two previous positive reviews because we've genuinely enjoyed the food and wanted to support this small business. Earlier this week, we ordered the bulgogi for our kids, but the meat was too chewy and tough making it inedible. Wanting to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt, we ordered the bulgogi again the following day and even requested it be cooked well done. Unfortunately, it had the same too chewy and tough texture, and again, could not be eaten. After feeding the kids something else, bathing them, and putting them to bed, I called the restaurant around 10:00 p.m., but they had already closed. I called the next day, and the owner (a lady with glasses) returned my call. Instead of listening to my concerns, she repeatedly interrupted me and spoke in a passive-aggressive, dismissive manner. I was on speakerphone with four other adults in the car, and everyone commented on how unhelpful and condescending the conversation felt. I explained that I wasn't calling simply to complain - I wanted to share feedback because we genuinely care about the restaurant and have supported it for a long time. I even mentioned that I had previously provided constructive feedback about the takeout bowls, which the restaurant later improved. Before I could finish, she cut me off and said, "We're not talking about the to-go bowls right now, are we? We're talking about your bulgogi." She insisted that if I wanted a refund, I needed to return to the restaurant in person, and that if something was wrong in the future, I should come back immediately so they could remake it. Unfortunately, that's simply not realistic for us. We're staying in a hotel with two young children, and the restaurant is about 40 minutes away. By the time we discovered the problem, got the kids settled, and called, making another round trip would have meant roughly 80 minutes of additional driving with tired, hungry children. I understand that mistakes happen, and I wasn't expecting perfection. What disappointed me most was how the concern was handled. This business does not value customer feedback and will never first listen respectfully, even from repeat customers who have consistently supported and recommended them. Sadly, based on this experience with both the food quality and the customer service, we won't be returning.

    Photos
    Interior.
    Interior.
    1LB Mama special fresh ahi (my go to) *6/1/24
    1LB Mama special fresh ahi (my go to) *6/1/24
    1LB each (spicy ahi and fresh ahi mama special) ohh-wee so yummy *6/1/24

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    1LB each (spicy ahi and fresh ahi mama special) ohh-wee so yummy *6/1/24

    Peppa's Korean BBQ - korean - Updated August 2026

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