Even though this standalone Korean spot looks like it was once a fast food outpost, I found out it was actually an auto parts store in its former life. Jamie W and I came here because we like to see what delectable options there might be on Oakland's Kimchi Row. Hey, I didn't make that nickname up. We came here because I heard they make an awesome Korean beef soup. Time to get our Korean on. Now I have to admit it took us a while to figure out how to enter because there were no transparent windows or doors on the street-facing sides of the building. We almost did a full rotation of the restaurant before we could get in. It's rather spartan inside, more like an old-school Shoney's. The menu consists mostly of soups and hot pots but also includes traditional Korean favorites customers expect. Jamie went with his favorite, the $20.99 Dolsot Bibimbap, steamed rice mixed with vegetables and beef sizzling in a stone pot (Photo 7). That was executed just fine with plenty of variety and heat retention. I wanted to try one of their soups and ordered the $30.95 Kkorigomtang, a bubbling cauldron of thick beef broth with submerged chunks of oxtail (Video). It required some patience to sip. Once it was temperate enough to taste, the broth was hearty but started to get blandly redundant once the tails were scooped out. This is where the Banchan came to my rescue as I dipped mouthfuls from each dish to spice up the broth (Photo 6). A bowl of rice and Jamie's leftovers helped, too. Authentic tasting food and very much a mom-&-pop shop where mom was tirelessly serving and cleaning. FOOD - 4 stars...solid Korean fare, soup requires creativity with condiments AMBIANCE - 3 stars...no-frills kind of place SERVICE - 4 stars...mom works hard for the money TOTAL - 4 stars...a true soup kitchen RELATED - Exploring Oakland? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/DWArNHxl1p read more

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I was looking forward to Seoul Gomtang's crispy Dolsot Bibimbop & soup & was a little surprised. The Dolsot Bibimbop was crispy but the Bulgogi seemed like super minced ground beef, so this was a little disappointing. Flavoring with the Gojujang gave it a nice spice level & added flavor. The Ox Tail Bone Soup was a very simple, low sodium but calcium rich soup & the fresh green onions added another component to the soup. Ban Chan appetizers are now limited to 3 choices with standard kimchi vegetables. Don't know if I would go out of my way to revisit, especially when the location isn't in a great neighborhood. read more

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brought my korean mom here. she thought it was ok. she loved the spinach denjang gige. i thought it ok, but not as good as my moms cooking. i would come again. read more

Favorite item for me was easily their seafood pancake. It was thin, crispy, and packed with flavors. They didn't go crazy on green onion either. Least favorite item was their beef katsu. They really overcooked it and thought it was good enough to serve. Way too dried but we managed to finish. Forgot which specialty soup we got but the table really enjoyed it. I don't think you can go wrong with any of their options here. read more

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A hidden mom and pop shop with plenty of seating. Their soups and stews are so comforting and flavorful - perfect for a cold night. The waiters here are so sweet! They offered generous refills on the banchans when we specifically told our waiter we loved the kimchi and cucumbers! I would recommend their hot barley tea with your meal as well. Also the seafood pancake here is so crispy and not too oily. Definitely a go to spot. read more

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My goto spot for authentic Korean food yummmmm. The cucumber kimchi here is so refreshing, must try! I got the chicken soup (dakgomtang) and it resurrected me I swear. It healed my soul after a day of work. Friendly owner! Ample seating! Hole in the wall spot, unassuming from the outside but if you know... you know... read more

Seoul Gomtang - Dakgomtang (닭곰탕) - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Small homey mom and pop Korean restaurant. We ordered the Chadolbaegi Gomtang, pork bulgogi, and beef soondubu. The Chadolbaegi Gomtang and beef soondubu were good comforting hot soups fitting for the cold weather. The pork bulgogi was actually my favorite-mildly spicy but with a slight sweet aftertaste to balance the spice. Banchan (while limited) were solid. They have a small parking lot as well right next to the restaurant which makes it convenient. read more

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Love this spot when I'm craving a hearty warm soup! It's traditional so depending on what soup you order, you might have to season it yourself so that you can adjust it to your own liking. The staff is friendly and the service is good. read more

Traditional Korean food with a kick. Seoul Gomtang offers delicious and authentic Korean food. You can really tell that this food was made with love. It tastes like a home cooked meal. The food is fresh, flavorful, spicy, and comes out hot. If you have a low spice tolerance, watch out, because some dishes really pack a punch. The prices are a bit high for the portion sizes but is reasonable given the food quality. Because this place is so small with only one or two people working in the whole restaurant, there is a bit of a wait time for your meal. Everything is cooked to order! It also took a little while for us to get drink refills and some table service. The attention simply goes to the food. The decor is the menu printed on the wall and TVs playing Korean news. This is a great place to try if you're on Telegraph! read more

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Seoul Gomtang is located at the corner of 38th and Telegraph and has a private parking lot with security parked in the lot. The place is a no frills restaurant specializing in hot, hot, hot noodle soups. The noodle soups are great for a cold day or night. We had: - Kkorigomtang - mixed meat noodle soup - wanggalbitang - short rib noodle soup The soups are naturally simple with sea salt, black pepper on the table and vinegar chili pepper condiment if you want some additional taste or tanginess for your soup, noodles and meats. Overall, a good place to go for simple, non-oily meat noodle soups. Very efficient and polite service. read more

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Good food and prices. Ample parking. Nice interior. The outside is pretty plain and unassuming. Good service. Don't forget to salt the soup! read more

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New favorite tofu spot! We used to go to others on Telegraph, but the price kept going up. So we tried this place and the food was really good and waitress was super nice. read more

Food: 3/5 Service: 3/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Portion to Price: 1/5 Overall: A bit expensive for the portion size. The extended review... Food: Galbi Jjim - 3/5 - Taste was pretty standard fare in comparison to others I've had. Service: 3/5 - Standard service. Ambiance: 3/5 - A nice indoor spot although we grabbed our order to go. Portion to Price: 1/5 - Given the portion size and price I won't be coming back for this dish. Maybe for something else possibly. read more

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While passing by, the building looked like it would be some kind of fast food place but I saw the soup pictures and had to try. They have their own parking lot with security. There were TVs that's switched camera views. The restaurant itself looked "authentic" inside. Not modern but typical mom and pops. Good, service in a timely manner, and pleasant staff. We got the galbitang, the oxtail soup, and the steamed dumplings. They gave a lot of meat and all were tender. Soups were tasty. Good, fresh, and tasty banchan. I like the availability of these type of steamed dumplings, but they were just ok. I think overall everything was good and would return. read more

Seoul Gomtang - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Delicious, homey, and comforting meal! A true hidden gem. We visited while my boyfriend and I were both sick and dying but this brought us back to good health - everything was so yummy! Even the haemulpajeon was really good, it's hard to find one that has that satisfying crunch and lives up to my dad's homemade one. We ordered the wanggalbitang and gamjatang! Both meats were so tender and fell off the bone, very quality. If you feel like crap and need something to cure you INSTANTLY, this is the best thing you can do for your body (source: trust me bro). Service was attentive and great too. We will be coming back! read more

Seoul Gomtang - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

I've been here a few times before and the food has always been delicious - this time was also no different. Definitely more of a "mom and pop" type restaurant. No flashy interior, but the food speaks for itself. We ordered seafood pancake, yukgaejang, and seokkeomtang, which all came out fairly quickly. The broth for the two soups was very flavorful, but the yukgaejang was not as spicy as advertised. I also really enjoyed the seafood pancake, which offered a great balance of crispy versus soft textures. Each person also got their own side sauce, so it was convenient to attain our personal salt preference. We were also given very simple banchan, which paired well with the brothy soup. The three dishes came out to be about $22 for four people (including tax and tip), and we all left full. Always a solid and affordable choice! read more

Came here for lunch after school and it wasn't busy yet. I ordered the SEOKKEOGOMTANG (섞어곰탕) which consisted of a beef broth and cooked mixed beef. Although the dish was good there was a lot of it that I couldn't eat. There were mixed beef parts that I didn't feel comfortable eating due to lack of familiarity. This included tripe and other parts. I should have ordered the CHADOLBAEGIGOMTANG (차돌백이곰탕) which consisted of beef broth and thoroughly cooked beef brisket. I also noticed that the soup itself needed salt, so I used the salt that was provided on the table. I ordered the Jin Mandu as well but I wasn't a fan. As I was eating the restaurant slowly filled up with other customers. There was one waitress doing everything yet she was able to manage all the tables which was good. Overall, the restaurant was spacious, there is a parking lot and it was nice that there were TV's playing Korean TV shows. read more

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I went back and tried their Bugeogug, which is dry fish in a mild soup, and it was delicious! The soup was so warm and had lots of fish to complement. The servers, as always, were very friendly and provided us with banchan refills. I love this restaurant, and will keep coming back! read more

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This review is about its togo service, not about the food.-FYI I have been coming to Seoul Gomtang since my college days..for 25+ years. Love their soups and we almost always eat-in. The recent visit I ordered a beef rib soup togo for my neighbor and they put the soup in the rectangular container used for their kimchi and rice. ( see picture) as far as I remember, the hot soups were always inside the typical 32oz round container with a proper lid, so I asked the lady why the soup was inside the rectangle shape and sealed with a thin plastic, She couldn't understand my questions and I went home with this flimsy container. I was driving home and worried the container won't hold up the hot soup. As you can see the plastic was soften due to the heat!! This is food safety issue. Please do better Seoul Gomtang for your royal customers! read more

Seoul Gomtang - Why do you put the boiling hot Wanggalbitang beef rib soup in a such flimsy and thin plastic container??? Unacceptable! - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

100% recommend, I'd like to gatekeep but like they're so good we should make sure they get business! The workers here are extremely nice. They always greet us whenever we come in and the service is top-notch quality. I love coming here on a cold, rainy day because the soup warms my soul on top of that their kimchi is to die for it, it might be the best kimchi I've ever had in my life. read more

food was decent, fast service and easy parking (private lot with cctv). we came here on a saturday a little past lunch time, and ordered the samgyetang and kimchi pancake. the kimchi pancake was very good. crispy and savory, really hits the spot. samgyetang was good but i feel like there could be more ginseng taste. you usually season your own salt, but it was still mellow tasting to me after seasoning. my husband really enjoyed this dish tho overall it was good and i also enjoyed their banchan. would return again if in the area read more

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Hidden gem in Oakland! I love the homey feel it has inside and a huge plus is that it has its own parking lot with cameras. Food (5/5): I've gotten the gomtang and the soon dubu which are both delicious. If it's your first time going, I suggest getting the gomtang because you won't be able to get this at many other Korean restaurants. The soon dubu and bibimbap are classic dishes and both were seasoned very well. Service (5/5): The waitress was very attentive and brought over water and kimchi promptly after sitting. Ambiance (5/5): It's a pretty small restaurant, but they can fit groups up to around eight people. I haven't had to wait either time I've gone. The have a clean restroom and lotsa parking. read more

I had a hankering for soup, so I decided to come here. There were just 1-2 other parties here at around 7 pm on a Thursday. After I ordered, they gave me a bowl of rice and three banchan dishes, all of which were kimchi based. Sometimes I can eat kimchi-flavored banchan, but these were a bit too spicy for me (I generally can't handle that much spice). That being said, I did end up eating most of the cucumber one after I had my main course. I ordered the Wanggalbitang, and when it came it was very hot. I love bone broth and would definitely recommend this one. It was flavorful (right at that cusp before becoming too salty) and felt very comforting, so this would be perfect for a cold day. The meat was so tender it fell off the bone, and the noodles also had great texture. I couldn't finish the whole dish (which is pretty common for me), so I packed the remaining half as leftovers in my own glass container. The server was attentive, and I was glad they used reusables for dine-in. I will happily come again whenever I crave a good bone broth. ECO NOTES (Dine-In) Dine-In Dishware: Reusable plates and bowls Napkins: Single-use disposable paper napkin Utensils: Reusable metal spoon and chopsticks in a wooden holder at the table Water cups: Reusable short plastic cup read more

Seoul Gomtang - Wanggalbitang (left shows when it arrives and right shows one of the meat pieces) - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Tried this place out with a friend who had previously been here before. I was super excited because I wanted to try out bibim naengmyeon, which is cold noodle mixed in spicy sauce, which admittedly I only knew about from Korean shows. But I love to try new dishes especially noodles and I never really go for cold temperature ones. Also decided to get haemulpajeon, which was pancake with seafood and green onion. The bibim naengmyeon is mixed with cucumber, apple, bits of meat, and half an egg. The dish itself was actually quite a large portion, more than I was expecting. The sauce isn't too spicy but has a bit of heat for flavor. I didn't add on any meat but I think it would be a good idea to add some protein and extra flavor. The dish comes with ice to keep the dish cold. The cucumber and apple add a nice texture to the dish since the noodles are soft. The seafood pancake came out piping hot and was delicious. Not sure on the portion size because I have only had a few Korean pancakes before but my friend and I could barely finish it. And it was packed with ingredients! Pan fried to crispy perfection and a mix of seafood and green onions in every bite. The restaurant was about half full when we stopped by for early dinner. Other customers seemed to order an array of different food which definitely piqued my interest in other dishes. Will definitely be back since Korean food is so good and this place definitely serves it well. read more

Seoul Gomtang - Bibim Naengmyeon - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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This place was pretty good! We got the gomtang tteokguk and the chadolbaegigomtang and it was quite delicious. A nice portion bowl, the soups were yummy, not salted but there's salt on the table for you to flavor accordingly. The kimchi was also yummy, not too fermented. Only con is that it is quite expensive, one of our bowl was $30 and the other one was close to that too. There's a parking lot for the restaurant so you don't have to park on the street. Overall the food was yummy but not sure if I would come back because of the high cost read more

Another solid Korean restaurant serving comforting gomtang! The restaurant itself has a very homey feel, and service is quick and friendly. For food, we ordered the Chadolbaegigomtang and the Wanggalbitang. The Chadolbaegigomtang comes with a hefty portion of thinly sliced lean beef brisket, noodles, green onion, and an unsalted broth. The meat was a little tough, but it's the perfect thing to order when you want something light but satisfying. The Wanggalbitang had fall off the bone short rib meat that was so tender! Both soups come with a side of rice, and of course their specialty banchan. Their banchan is a hit or miss. We really liked the cucumbers and kimchi, but the radishes weren't as crunchy as we would've liked. Apparently to-go containers are an extra 50 cents? When you're done with your meal, you go up to the register to pay. Come here for the soups, and this meal definitely won't disappoint! read more

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Delicious soups that warms the soul, service is quick and friendly, quaint little mom and pop restaurant.

One of the best Korean soup places in Oakland. I've been to Seoul Gomtang twice now and both times I have been really satisfied with my meal. The first time I went I ordered a Gamjatang or a potato pork bone soup and it was sooo good. The soup came out piping hot but quickly cooled to a temperature suitable for eating. The pork bones were massive and came with a lot of meat. They added a generous amount of perilla leaves which gave the soup its nutty, hearty flavor. I loved the veggies added to the soup. The portion size was massive and I had half left over. I packed up my left overs (containers cost $0.25 btw) and brought it home. I reheated the soup at home and it made it ever better because the fat of the pork and the potatoes became even softer. It was so good that I ordered it again the next time I went. The second time I went, I went with my family. My mom ordered a dolsot bibimbap which I thought was pretty mid and do not recommend since you could get better bibimbaps elsewhere and their soups are so much better. My dad got the samgyetang, or the ginseng chicken soup. It was pretty good. The meat melted right off the bone and the soup had enough ginseng flavor. We also got a seafood pancake to share and it was crispy but lacked seafood, so I might opt for the kimchi pancake next time. However, the dipping sauce for the pancake was this sweet soy sauce and it was really good. The banchans at this place are so simple but soooo good. Each meal comes with radish kimchi, cabbage kimchi, and cucumber kimchi and this places has THE BEST cabbage kimchi and cucumber kimchi. The radish is pretty big so it's less flavorful compared to the other two, so I don't usually eat it. Generally speaking, their soups are great and I'd give 5/5 for the gamjatang. But I settled on 4/5 to account for the bibimbap and the pancake. read more

Seoul Gomtang - Gamjatang, dolsot bibimbap, samgyetang, and seafood pancake - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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This place specializes in soup, but their beef bulgogi is not bad at all. The mul naengmyeon is refreshing, on the spicier side (good), but the cucumbers are sliced thinly as opposed to julienned. I prefer the latter, but this is fine. The samgyetang is cooked to a point such that the chicken shreds easily. The rice is subtly sweet, though I wonder what a sort of sticky rice might do texture-wise. The jujubes were either on the blander side or had all of their sweetness cooked into the soup. I'd come back for the chadolbaegigomtang. Add healthy scoops of the table sea salt, though; this helps the (very) beefy broth reach its full potential. read more

Comfort and homey food. Each dish prepared with love. Always happy to see very sweet and kind staff that feel like my aunt cooking food for me. This is my to -go spot in the area whenever the weather is a little cold, or I need some comfort home cooked meal without cooking! The restaurant usually gets busy during lunch time, but enough parking spots available outside (within their establishment) read more

I am kind of easy going ^^^. I gave them 5 stars. The food was well prepared by Ricardo, who should be given an extra credit based on the reason that he cooked almost perfect Korean food as a Latino ( nothing against Latino, rather I really enjoy and love them). It came out better than some other Korean restaurants. My daughter and grandkid had chadorbaeki gomtang and I had a hae-jang-cook , a bean paste based soup with lots of vege and meat. The soup was clear, the vege was so tender and easy to chew, that was so well prepared that is why I have a full credit to Ricardo. Rum mamma Mia^^^! read more

Seoul Gomtang - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Homey and comforting! My favorite soups are kalbitang (short rib soup, comes with glass noodles), samyetang (whole chicken), and gamjatang (pork, super flavorful and tender). All soups come with rice. The most authentic Korean soup place around the Oakland/SF area. Side dishes are a hit or miss depending on how recent or long it's been fermented. Have grown to really find comfort in the food here over the years. Staff is always friendly to us! Parking lot available, cash and card accepted. read more

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Traditional Korean food, their soup is delicious and the seafood pancake is tasty. . read more

Authentic Korean bone broth soup!! Don't expect a big variety of banchans, or Korean fried chicken. I used to come here regularly when I lived in Oakland years ago, came back when I was in the area and craving comfort food and was treated to the same friendly service and yummy bone broth soup with the most depth in flavor!! read more

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Food was so amazing. Staff very attentive. We went as a group for a birthday celebration dinner and we all loved it! Fun vibe and delicious food. Reasonable prices for such great quality!! Thank you!! read more

Seoul Gomtang - Taken before the great food came. Just go!!! - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

First time here. I thought the dumplings had beef in it BUT it is not! Whoever is vegetarian come get the dumplings please. It has tofu and veggies in it. Huge! Couldn't eat them all. Soup, haejang-guk was delicious tho. Little pricey to me. Banchan is ok including kimchi, gagdugi and cucumbers. Service is friendly. read more

Seoul Gomtang - Steamed dumplings - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Heard only good things about this place and so glad I could come here before I left Oakland. The chadolbaegigomtang hit the spot. Very nice broth and flavor. Wish there were a bit more noodles but maybe I ate too fast the kimchi pajeon was well made. They also had spicy naengmyeon and the noodle texture and spice level were perfect. Service was nice as well albeit there was only 6 customers at the time since we ate earlier. Very nice people. read more

Seoul Gomtang - Kimchi pajeon - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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This restaurant is my newfound obsession. Their gamjatang is the BEST I've had in the entire Bay Area- the broth is so so flavorful and rich and spicy, and the pork is really tender and juicy. It's definitely a must-try. Their signature- the chadolbaegi gomtang- was flawless, no notes. Bibimbap was really good too! Some restaurants mess up their bibimbap and make it soggy by not accounting for the moisture from the vegetables, but this place does it perfectly. The chive pancake was yummy as well (not as crispy as I personally like my pancakes, but still very good). I love the vibes- it feels like they plucked a restaurant straight from the streets of Korea and placed it in Oakland. Super cozy and hole-in-the-wall interior that made me feel right at home. The ladies who were working when I went were all really nice too. Overall, super authentic and delicious Korean food here- possibly the best I've had in the Oakland/Berkeley/SF area. I'll be coming back to try the rest of the menu, but if the few dishes I tried are any indication, I've no doubt they'll also be amazing! read more

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i got dakdoritang (spicy chicken stew) and it was delicious. it was a pretty large bowl and loved that it wasn't just a lot of broth but there was a lott of chicken meat, which was nice and tender. I had enough leftovers for like two more meals and it was so good even as leftovers. Me and my friends came here after a long day and all the stews were such a comfort and hit so good. Such a good revival meal. The steamed dumplings were large in size and fully stuffed, however the filing wasn't that flavorful. I couldn't really tell what was inside but I think mostly tofu? I think it might supposed to be a blander kind of mandu that you enjoy with the sauce but idk, I would've liked it to have more flavor from the dumpling itself. The inside of the restaurant is very traditional Korean restaurant vibes which feels nice and comforting. Overall, can't wait to come back again for their stews. read more

Seoul Gomtang - dakdoritang - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Seoul Gomtang has my full heart and is my new favorite Korean place in the Bay Area. The kimchi pancake was a big portion size, and was delightfully crispy (but not too much oil) and had green onions and kimchi. They cut it into perfectly sized pieces, and this is something you definitely need to try!! The bibim cold mixed noodles was also SO good. The noodle texture is very chewy and tastes refreshing with the cold and spice. They had sweet apples as a topping, and it was the perfect crunch. Everything was good, but the real star of the show was their soups. I had never had Korean soup like this and Seoul Gomtang set the standard. We got the beef soup with potato, mixed rice cake soup, and seafood soft tofu soup. EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING AND PERFECT FOR A COLD DAY!! The mixed rice cake soup was my favorite. It looks bland, but when the first bite of the soft rice cake, the shredded egg, and the seaweed was literally mind blowing. The broth had a rich sesame flavor, and I have had nothing like it before. The beef soup with potato was also super rich, and a little spicy. The ribs were FALL OFF THE BONE soft, and the veggies were somehow hinted with sesame. The potato just soaked up the broth, and again, I've had nothing like this before!! The seafood tofu soup is also the best I've had ever. It was perfectly seasoned and spicy and the seafood was fresh and great quality. Come to Seoul Gomtang to warm up your belly on cold days!! The service and banchan was also super good. It felt great to support a family owned business, but I would also love to be adopted if my family could cook like this. Anybody who leaves anything other than a 4 star review is ordering the wrong things. So much love for this place. read more

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