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    POCHA IS BACK

    4.3 (69 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Colin C.

    As good of a pocha as central Austin could get. This is exactly how you'd imagine a korean pub with very loud and Seoul style interior decorations with K-pop blasting over the speakers, which I'm not complaining. Stan loona. The service is efficient and attentive as well. Their menu contains all the classic pocha bites such as tteokbokki, mandu, budaejigae, and others. We ordered the fried mandu, seafood pancake, and tteokbokki special. The pancake was my favorite as it was cooked well, crispy on the outside with a soft fleshy center. The other dishes were also pretty good and hits the spot. The only thing is that all the food is so heavy, which is to be expected since they're all fried and meant to be consumed with alcohol. However, they could use a little more seasoning but definitely a good spot to go with friends late at night.

    Interior
    Eric H.

    This is a cozy Korean pub. They are only open in the evenings. K-pop music will be blasting. The menu is pretty focused. There are definitely some well-executed items, and some items that need improvement. The staff who work there are quite friendly. Items such as the seafood pancake, steamed egg, and bossam are quite nice. Their bossam looks very simple, but it's quite flavorful. Their bonchon is not very diverse, but it's pretty good. Pajeon -- their green onion and seafood pancake is tasty, it has the right set of textures (crisp, soft, gummy; non-chewy seafood). Steamed Egg -- the one we got was almost overflowing. More of a scrambled texture than a softer steamed egg. Bossam -- steamed pork belly lightly coated with some sesame oil and other savory juice, and topped with sesame seeds. It comes with garlic, pepper slices, and fermented bean sauce. Instead of something like lettuce, you get thin slices of pickled radish, kimchi, and chunks of radish kimchi. Gam Ja Tang -- it could be improved. Broth is spicy, yes, but it also lacks perilla seeds and their flavor (a very minimal amount is added). But the soup lacks a rich savoriness. It gets served in a large pot atop a burner. I would not recommend their Fish'n'chips or their Fish Katsu. The fish is prepared the same in both dishes; only the accompaniments change. The fish is heavily battered, chunky, not really flaky or flavorful inside, and sometimes mushy. Childhood Long John Silvers certainly beats this. Overall, this place offers up a nice selection of food, though the options are limited. Expect meat and seafood, stews, fried things, and very little in the realm of vegetables.

    Richard N.

    The food was amazing. My girlfriend and I got the pork bulgogi, the ramen, and the corn cheese. The corn cheese is definitely on the better side of corn cheese's l've had and they do not hold back on the cheese. The pork bulgogi was good, but for 25$ and no side dishes it is a little expensive. Our server was attentive and nice and took our order fast. The ambiance is dark and they play lots of kpop. Would definitely come back.

    Fishcake stew
    Briana N.

    Looking at pictures of what the restaurant looked like on yelp, I was kind of skeptical of this place being a pocha just because it looked so small. But regardless, they stay open late, so off we went. And I was pleasantly surprised! The restaurant is bigger than it seems, and it's super vibey for late night snacks. We got The fishcake stew - this was one of my favorites for the night. The broth is both light but also super rich and comforting. Its super peppery and even has some jalapeños, so it just warms you up from the inside. I love that they serve it boiling so you can just drink it fresh off the stove. The fishcake were ok though. I think I like a chewier fishcake and these were all on the softer side. Pajeon - I love Korean pancakes but it's a real hit or miss for me because I hate when they're not crispy. But Pocha is back does it right! It was so crispy, without any sog. And the sauce was delicious, nice and vinegary to cut through the oil. Cheese rice cake set combo - I expected cheese but I didn't expect this much cheese lol. I really liked the fried dumpling, and I loved the fried seaweed spring rolls. But I wasn't too big of a fan of the rice cakes. They were all too soft, and didn't have much of a chew. Jeyuk bokkeum - also loved this dish! It comes with a lot of meat and it's just so saucy and flavorful. It is on the saltier side, but just eat it with rice and it's fine. Fish katsu - I don't really recommend this fish. I was expecting a fresh fish filet covered in a light breading. But this just seemed like some frozen fried fish sticks you get from the store. The fish itself was kind of dry and the tartar sauce was wayyy too vinegary. I liked the slaw though. Overall, it's kinda pricey here but the food is pretty good, and it's a cool spot to hang out late with friends.

    Solid Korean food indeed! Everything tastes good and authentic. Good to see that Austin has a Korean place like this. Service was good too. Ambiance is good for gathering and friends. Only thing is it's probably not good if you don't want your child to look at the TVs in every single direction. All the TVs are playing Korean music videos loudly. Some of the music videos I def don't want my toddler to see. Will be back, but def will not be back with my toddler. 4 stars for still solid food.

    Fried Chicken (Plain) with sauces on the side
    Mike K.

    2.5 out of 3. I wanted to give this place a better score, but with other areas such as SOHA nearby, it's hard not to compare and contrast. Here's the review below. ---- Pros: - Plenty of parking - Full menu for food and drinks - Nice decor + Korean ambiance - Korean content playing on TVs Side Notes: - Closed Sundays and opens at 5 PM daily - Not too busy right at opening What We Got: - Fried chicken (sauce on the side) - Kim-mal-i (Fried Seaweed Rolls) 김말이 - Gamjatang (Spicy pork soup) 감자탕 - Corn cheese - Terra ---- Design/Space: Pocha is Back is a cozy spot tucked away in North Austin, with a lively K-pop soundtrack playing on their TVs, and a fun, urban vibe that channels the Korean pub experience. The interior is simple yet inviting, with ample seating for groups and a casual, laid-back atmosphere that makes it easy to settle in for a long meal or drinks with friends. Services/Staff: The service is friendly, but not as lively as it could be for a pocha. Our server was nice, but seemed a bit reserved, unlike SOHA or Seoulju, where you were met with a warm greeting and felt the vibe of a drinking place. Drinks and water were refilled when asked, and the staff seemed happy to answer questions about the menu. We did have to flag the waiter a few times, but perhaps it was opening time, so they were busy doing beginning-of-shift activities. Food/Drinks: Ranking the food that we ordered accordingly: Terra (5/5) - Can't go wrong with an ice-cold beer! Corn Cheese (4/5) - Nothing to complain about, lots of cheese, and wasn't the sweetest corn, but cooked well + hit the spot! Kim-mal-i (2/5) - Was undercooked on a couple of rolls from the batter; overly greasy; the breading tasted a bit as if it was old oil or something (couldn't put my finger on it). The filling was good, though. Gamjatang (4/5) - A TON of pork, and the broth was excellent. I loved the portable gas grill to keep the soup piping hot. Portions are enormous and worth the $30 price tag. Fried Chicken (1/5) - The inside of the chicken skin was not fully fried (although it was fully cooked), resulting in a soggy interior (chicken skin), while the outside remained crispy. The flavor of the oil tasted the same as the kim-mal-i, too, which threw the flavor off for me. The sauces were great on the side, but I couldn't get over the chewy texture of the skin, which wasn't fully crispy. Opportunities to Improve: A couple of suggestions. One, ensure that the staff is lively, as we are at a drinking spot, and that the "bar vibe" is maintained. The staff is kind and friendly, but a little extra attention would be great. Secondly, the quality of the food needed some TLC for us. Some things were great, others were undercooked and didn't taste as good as expected. ---- Summary: It's a great place to grab a drink and some bites. I hope the food quality improves a bit, as I'm willing to give it another chance. However, with other options like SOHA, it's challenging to justify the spend without some adjustments. Perhaps it was the day, but as a fried chicken lover, I was disappointed in the wings, as I had been craving them that day.

    Chicken Katsu
    Grant B.

    Chicken katsu was decent. Music was too loud but they were nice to turn it down some. Speaking of nice, the service was most kind. I thought it was pricey for the offerings or I might have tried something more complex.

    Mackarel
    Eina D.

    Came here with a big group to celebrate a birthday and this place was perfect for it. I did get busy as the night went on, but we had reservations. The mussel soup was probably the best thing we ordered here. The broth was so delicious and there were plenty of mussels for sharing. The bossam was a huge portion too, perfect for sharing. The pork itself was tender and seasoned with sesame oil. It was a good bite with the radish and ssamjang, although I wish it included kimchi as well as lettuce to wrap it all in. The mackerel was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. The original boneless chicken was very crispy, but had no flavor. It could've used some salt, but instead we squeezed lemon on it for some flavor. The cheese bukdak was so rich. It's best to eat it when it first comes out piping hot or else the cheese will harden. It wasn't very spicy at all. Plenty of parking outside and service was ok. There are only a hand full of spots around Austin with Korean pub fare, and while this hit the mark on some dishes, it was a convenient way to get a big group to dine together.

    Chicken wings, dumplings, Kimchi, budge jeongol, and soju (of course)
    Melissa B.

    Summary: cute, cozy place with tasty Korean "pub" food. They were amazing in accommodating the huge party we walk-in in as. I think we took up almost the whole place!

    Inside
    Jennifer K.

    I actually really enjoyed this place as it wasn't too dark and the music wasn't too loud either for a pocha place. As for the food, the tteokbokki was really good and very much my style with it having a good gochujang flavor. Soondae was decent too and I liked the addition of the sesame seeds. It is pricey but I would still recommend for a night out!

    Mahesh P.

    Korean "hang out with friends, beer, and soju" happiness It's pretty much a classic Korean pub (for Austin)- good selection of highly shareable foods, beers, soju, and more. Friendly staff, very tasty foods, and chill vibe - defo worth going to. And yeah, the prices are high (sigh. Austin these days...) but it usually also corresponds to the portion sizes - a $40 thingy probably suffices quite happily for 3...

    @meganyli.eats on IG for more food content!
    Megan L.

    I thought it was a pretty decent pocha place! My friends and I came and ordered drinks and food, and everything was pretty yummy. Their corn cheese is really delicious. We also tried their army stew, and it was decent and filling too! I would say that prices are a bit steep, but I think that's standard for Korean establishments. I love the vibe, and it gives a great ambience for a night of drinking. I definitely recommend, and I think Pocha is Back is a great addition to the Austin Asian food scene.

    tteokbokki

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    3 years ago

    Good food and vibe.. it is a great place to have a drink before going out. It is a bit pricey like any bar you would go to.

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    2 years ago

    Awesome spot, very fun ambiance and great food. Service was friendly and quick. We had two entrees and some apps

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    3 years ago

    Food was okay, but it was very overpriced for the type of food. Service was good though.

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    3 years ago

    Yummy!! And amazing service and kimchi. Recommend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love it! Period slay

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    3 years ago

    What a fun and cozy environment, great food that just filled up my Seoul.

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    Page 2 of 2

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    Kelly's Irish Pub is an easy 5 stars from me, and it feels extra fitting to shout them out on St…read more Paddy's Day. I went a few weeks ago for my friend's birthday on their back patio, and it was the perfect spot for a chill celebration. The Guinness was fresh (no sad, flat pours here), the fish and chips were thick, crispy, and super satisfying, and the service was more than a-plenty the whole night. It's the kind of place where you can actually relax, hang out, and hear your friends without sacrificing fun vibes. On a nice day, there's honestly nowhere I'd rather be posted up with a pint than Kelly's patio.

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    The Kenney Fort British Pub

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    Sad review as may be their last, 1/4 is set to be their last day of being open for business. I…read morealways forgot this place was here, it's super convenient to us but the location was easily forgettable as it wasn't really visible from 79. Ticked away in a little complex without 79 visibility along with a couple of other places that don't seem to get much traffic either. Finally made our first visit so we could try "the best fish & chips" in the Austin area. I was surprised how big it was, they have a patio, a bar area and lots of tables I was shocked as from the outside it looks tiny. Service was fantastic which was shocking with them closing soon. The service was enough to want me to go back hopefully for us in this area they end up somewhere close by as I know how hard it is to find good workers. Pretzels were good! Onion rings were our favorite! Their version of the Philly was just okay, was very plain with not much flavor hubby didn't even finish half. But the star of the show was the fish and chips. My son was over the moon! Couldn't even finish half of it and he wanted to haha. Sad to see they will be closing their doors but hopefully the owner has something else up his sleeve as they were onto something with this place.

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    This review is based on their food and service. Service is…read morealways painfully slow. I have to wait usually 10 minutes or more for someone to come by and greet my table. But that is nothing compared to how awful the food is. Growing up and living in Boston I was accustomed to Irish Pubs that took pride in the food they made. Let's be honest - Irish food in general is not very good but the pubs I went to in Boston elevated the fare. If it is in fact true that BD Riley's is run by someone from Boston then he or she should be ashamed of the food they serve. It's like they have a 10 year old cooking the food. If someone from BD Riley's reads this please read this: Do better. Have some pride.

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    POCHA IS BACK - pubs - Updated May 2026

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