Absolutely pest Korean bbq in Oceanside!! Food is exquisite and service is excellent!!

I came to this place with my husband after being out all day. I was pretty hungry so we were happy to find a decently priced ayce restaurant. I like that this place uses the Yelp waitlist because I put my name down as we were on our way over and arrived just in time. We were seated quickly on a Saturday evening around 6 pm. There are a good amount of tables inside. They also had some TVs showing baseball games around. The service was amazing here. It felt like the waiters and waitresses were constantly eyeing our table to see if we needed anything or were ready to order more. They refilled our water carafe before it was completely empty, changed our grills before we asked, and took away empty plates as soon as we cleared them. I also appreciated that they put salt or something on the ground so it wasn't too slippery. The only complaint I had about the place was that it was really hot but I could see the waitresses were also really hot as they fanned themselves walking around. The food were was actually pretty solid for an ayce restaurant. We got the deluxe plan which is the cheaper option for $30.99. The brisket came with some salt and pepper on it and looked like a better cut than I've seen at other places. We also got some kalbi which came without the bone which is so nice because we didn't have to cut it off and have little meat left over. My husband and I also really liked the marinated steak. I typically like non marinated meat better but the steak was tender and the marinade wasn't too sweet. I used the salt to help cut the sweetness and wrapped it in a lettuce with some radish. I really liked all the meats we tried here. They also have really good sides here that you can't get anymore at a lot of kbbq places like the steamed egg or corn cheese plate. All of the food options were so good and I left very stuffed. I would definitely recommend then kbbq ayce restaurant to anyone in the area! read more

See all

Sonu BBQ is a great place for Korean BBQ! The premium menu offers excellent quality and a wide variety of meats and appetizers. The service is fast and attentive, even when the restaurant is busy. Be sure to put your name on the waitlist ahead of time, as it can get crowded. There are plenty of delicious options to choose from, but my favorites are the finger garlic beef and the shrimp tempura. If you're looking for tasty food, great service, and lots of variety, Sonu BBQ is definitely worth a visit! read more

How much more unprofessional can this place get?? SERIOUSLY HOW MUCH MORE UNPROFESSIONAL CAN THIS PLACE GET!? I haven't stepped foot in this restaurant since December because of the way I was treated after leaving an HONEST review. Ive never been rude, never raised my voice, just a plain honest review. Yet somehow, months later, an employee THE SAME EMPLOYEE MIND YOU thought it was appropriate to tell my sister, who was there with her date and my nephew, that she was welcome to eat but that I was not. She had absolutely nothing to do with my review or our previous interactions. If you want to ban me, that's your choice. I wasn't planning on returning anyway. But involving my family while they're simply trying to enjoy a meal is completely unnecessary and unprofessional. My original complaint was about misleading posted hours, which you finally updated the hours on here. Instead of addressing the issue professionally, this restaurant chose to hold a grudge and bring my family into it months later. That's not how customer service should be handled. BEWARE. If you're not praising the restaurant in the review it might lead you to getting banned!!!! read more

I was on my way to drop off one of my kids at summer camp when I wanted her to have one last real meal before a week of camp food. We were checking out a few different restaurants when Sonu all you can eat Korean barbecue popped up. And my daughter's face lit up. They have two menus, a deluxe and a premium menu. It's like $32 for the deluxe and $38 for the premium. They offered a few more items such as Wagyu style beef, and deveined shrimp. We went with the less expensive of the two options. The place seemed pretty busy for a Sunday lunch. There was no wait. The service was really nice and friendly. They have a button on the wall where you can summon the staff. The staff came by and replaced the grill pans without prompting. The food came out quickly. They refilled the pitcher of ice water on the table. My only knock was that they didn't automatically refill the limited banchan. I'm almost certain if I would've asked for more kimchi, they would've brought it. I also wish they would've explained what the sauces were without me asking. The place on the darker side and the grill plates add an under the grill plate smoke system. It was quiet enough to have a conversation there. We ordered the steaks, brisket, spicy Bulgogi, some sort of garlic, finger meat, the fresh shrimp. We also ordered a few sides: the fried Mandu and the corn cheese. I'm not entirely certain what kind of meat the steak was from but it was tender enough. I think we enjoyed the thinly sliced brisket the best. The spicy bulgogi wasn't spicy. Or, maybe it was Oceanside spicy. I really enjoyed the corn cheese and also the Mandu. Do not sleep on the side dishes. Overall, if I'm in the area and craving Korean barbecue, I would return. However, I don't think this is a destination restaurant if you live outside of Oceanside (unless it's the closest KBBQ to you). Coming from Los Angeles where there is a large Korean community, I'm a little bit spoiled when it comes to KBBQ. read more

We put our name on the waitlist that said estimated 5-20 minutes while driving here since we were nearby. It's nice that you can check the estimated wait time and put your name on the waitlist from the Yelp app. The service was amazing for an all you can eat Korean bbq restaurant. Everyone was extremely attentive from when we sat down. They filled our water bottle twice without us asking and changed our grill twice without us asking. They asked us if everything is okay and if we needed anything multiple times and constantly looked at our table even as they were walking by to do something else. Amazing service for an all you can eat place which in my opinion is extremely important. Nothing feels worse than waiting a long time to order again. The food was solid. We got the deluxe plan for $30.99 per person, and it was above average. It's not the absolute best kbbq food place I've ever had, but it's better than majority of the kbbq places I've had in San Diego for $30.99. A bonus is they have corn cheese and steamed egg, which a lot of all you can eat kbbq places don't have now. Overall a great experience all around! read more

See all

Loved it here, only thing is we kept ordering by things and didn't get what we ordered. I love when the grill is like this. One thing I don't understand is the fact it's bbq but these places never let you keep the grill when it really starts to charcoal up and the flavor is the best. It's most likely for easier cleaning but I'm pretty sure there is a way they could figure out how to make that part work in the future. One of my fav things to go out to eat is just sitting around eating food with loved ones. We love the cheese corn!!! It's always one of my favs but I really love theirs. The portion sizes could be smaller so you could try other things but omgahhh get the cheese corn! read more

See all

Went here with family a while back and had a great time. Service was really good, our servers were friendly and funny. And loved the selection of meat you can get! The meat itself tasted great and overall felt like good quality. Even the side dishes were great. There was a kimchi stew or soup my sister ordered that I ended up trying, and it paired amazingly with the meat. The ventilation did its job because it did not feel too hot in there, or as hot as I would've expected. The tables are spaced out enough where your party has enough room to breathe and talk. For the price (which from what I remember was around $30-$40?) it is definitely worth it. read more

Sonu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Oceanside, California

As always this place is packed. They serve quality meat and seafood. All you can eat sides, like cream corn and kimchi rice. They also have poke bowl as part of the sides. This place is my family's go to Korean AYCE restaurant. The best! read more

Sonu BBQ - Poke bowl - Korean Near Me - Oceanside, California

Super legit, one of our servers, Ms New Year is and was amazing. I think one of the best ayce kbb in town read more

See all

Service here was exceptional! All workers were very friendly and helpful. It was our first time here and we had a great time. Food came out fast! Corn cheese was HUGE! I was shocked to see the portion size compared to many other places that only give a little cup of it! I love that they had kimchi fried rice as an included side not an extra charge. Their kimchi however is a little on the sweet side, not very sour/tangy. Still good tho but personal preference I like the more fermented taste of kimchi. Lot of meat selections & good for the price. The inside is very clean and lots of tables for bigger parties if needed! We will be back! read more

Sonu BBQ - Corn cheese - Korean Near Me - Oceanside, California

See all

This was my first time dining at a Korean BBQ place. The restaurant itself was clean and inviting. The food was just ok, thought the corn with cheese was phenomenal! The issue was with a couple of the servers. I stated immediately that I had never been to a Korean BBQ place so I didn't know how it "worked". The lady pointed to the qrcode and said to scan it which I did. The menu came up based on which price bracket I chose. That was it. She didn't tell me how it worked, what we were to do, etc. So I asked her again what I do and how it works. She said I order what I wanted from the menu and it would be brought to me. I asked if I cook it myself and if she had a list of cooking times for each type of meat. She said no and that I should just make sure it is cooked all the way through. I told her I am not an expert on such things and worried I would undercook something and get sick. She said "no just cook it all the way". We asked for rice which we never received, and had to ask for refills of water that took long to receive. I requested extra napkins and a plate which took 20 minutes to receive. The price was a little high for the lack of variety based on what I have seen from other places online (posted menus and such). All and all, it was an interesting experience but no one was very helpful for a newbie like me. I did get sick late that night, too. read more

Sonu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Oceanside, California

This Korean BBQ's service is amazing! Jamie (I may have spelt it wrong) was very attentive and kind. The meats we ordered were yummy. My favorites being: Cajun Shrimp and Brisket. My least favorite was the bulgogi (may have been over marinated, not a lot of texture). The soju was yummy; we ordered the lemon and yogurt flavor. Both flavors were good, but if I had to choose one it would be the yogurt flavor. The music was upbeat and seating descent. The bathrooms could stalls and toilets need an upgrade. read more

See all

Our family of 9 ct. had a great experience at SONUK Barbecue in Oceanside. We arrived right at last call, 9:30 PM even though they were close to closing, Jason, the owner, graciously accommodated us with such kindness and professionalism. He made us feel genuinely welcome, never rushed us, and even encouraged us to take our time. Our server, Joey, was excellent, attentive, courteous, and provided outstanding service throughout the evening. The beef was especially impressive, very fresh, tender, flavorful, and generous in portion. We truly appreciated the hospitality and care shown to our Family. We left very satisfied and grateful. Highly recommend SONU K Bbq in Oceanside 3744 MISSION AVE OCEANSIDE, Ca 92058 Thank you Jason , Thank you Joey , Our Family will return to your establishment read more

Sonu BBQ - SONU K Bbq 3745 Mission Ave Oceanside, Ca 92058 - Korean Near Me - Oceanside, California

Food, service, price. Everything was top notch. Meat and side choices were abundant and delicious. The wait staff was very attentive and knew when to come around for refills. Our favorites were the pork belly, bulgogi and brisket. Highly recommend. read more

See all

I Fu@king love this place the food is good the prices are good. All the staff is cool .

Stopped by Sono Korean BBQ for a casual meal and overall had a good experience. The inside is a bit on the smaller side, but it didn't feel too crowded when we went. The atmosphere is pretty laid back and easygoing. No long wait times, which was definitely a plus. The service was smooth and the staff kept things moving, which I appreciated. The meat selection is solid and comes out quickly, so you're not waiting around too long between rounds. Some items stood out more than others, but everything was fresh and decent quality overall. Pricing is fair for what you get. It's not the most high-end Korean BBQ, but it's a good option if you're looking for something casual and filling. read more

A staple in the city of Oceanside, SONU always satisfies our cravings with its variety of flavor, from marinated short-rib to honey Cajun pork belly! Nothing like sitting around a burner enjoying great food, sharing laughs with family and friends. What this little restaurant lacks in size it makes up for in charm and great hospitality. Make sure to reserve if you are coming with bigger parties as the wait times can escalate if you have more than 5 people. That just speaks to how popular this place is in our beach town! read more

See all

Service is genuinely top notch. Staff is kind, attentive, and friendly. I come here every few months and somehow Year not only remembers me, but were I sat. crazy. Very kind person. Also great attention to detail. David and Jaime were the best kind of attentive. They somehow knew what I was going to ask before I asked it haha. Grill changes, new orders, all that. Excellent service. I feel taken care of here which is why I come back :) read more

After many months away, I came back and was happy to see that the quality remains just as excellent as ever. The restaurant is always clean and spacious, and it never feels hot or uncomfortable. The staff are especially lovely, quick, and very attentive. They always check on customers in a thoughtful and caring way. I truly appreciate a place that offers both delicious food and outstanding service. Sonu BBQ is always the best! read more

Sonu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Oceanside, California

See all

This was our first time here and was able to be seated quickly after joining the waitlist. We got seated at a booth and the seats felt a little dirty but it was a quick clean up. Although the seats and floor felt a little greasy, the service was amazing! The staff were quick to get our order and always checked up on us before we even had to ask. We order a variety of meats and side dishes. The meat quality was ok. Not horrible but not amazing either. However, the side dishes were the highlight. I enjoyed the kimchi fried rice and the cheese corn. Both very delicious. We also tried the black garlic Ramen which was surprisingly good as well. Overall it was a good experience and we would be back mainly for the sides and the service. read more

My first time here. Hubby and I came for dinner. Parking was easy and we were immediately seated after putting our names down. Our server was great. Restaurant is clean. Food was fresh and pretty good but I felt they had less side options than other Korean BBQ spots. I love green onion salad and was bummed that they don't offer that. I like that it's all you can eat. We enjoyed our dinner here. read more

See all

The food is good/serviceable. Darkish lighting inside. Waitstaff is nice. There usually is a slight wait time. You order off a physical menu as opposed to with a tablet like some other kbbq spots. read more

Love this place! A good variety of options, great quality meat (especially the Kobe beef and shrimps and pork belly), and reasonable price! Will definitely go again read more

Sonu BBQ - Korean Near Me - Oceanside, California

See all

10/10 experience! The meat is very high quality at an amazing price point. The short ribs and soy sauce steak is really good. The service is also top tier, very attentive and quick to refill the sides. They really go above and beyond to make it a welcoming and comfortable environment. I accidentally left my prescription sunglasses on the table and because I live 80mi away I was unable to go back and pick them up. Jason went out of his way to mail them to me, which is just amazing. Truly one of my favorite places! read more

Fast service, very prompt and never had to wait for anything. Our server was quick to check on us and give us some recommendations. Go with the premium, their sliced brisket and waygu were our favorite and don't skip the cheese corn either read more

A great local spot for AYCE Korean BBQ with high-quality, not frozen meats which makes all the difference. We especially loved the pork belly wrapped enoki mushrooms and the cucumber kimchi from the generous spread of sides. Our server was fantastic (she had a flower in her hair wish I remembered her name!) and struck the perfect balance between attentive and chill. Drinks stayed full, grills stayed hot. Bonus: it's right next to 85°C Bakery, so you can grab a sweet treat on your way out. We'll definitely be back. read more

See all

I've been to a couple other kbbq spots over the years in the San Diego area and I always come back to Sonu not just for the convenient location but for their excellent service and incredible food. The restaurant is a comfortable size, and food comes out pretty fast. We always get the brisket and short rib, and their corn cheese is THE best! read more

Sonu BBQ - Brisket - Korean Near Me - Oceanside, California

See all

Came here last night as central meeting point for daughter's birthday dinner. We had some folks from Anaheim, Temecula and San Diego so this location worked. She was craving kbbq and th overall experience was very good. We had babies running around so it was hectic but he wait staff was very patient and accommodating. They made meat suggestions and refills came out relatively quickly. I took off one star just because it was really quite warm in there and we maybe could have used a third burner for our group of 12 but overall we'd come back. The prices to me were very reasonable and the manager was pretty awesome along with all of the staff. read more

My family and I have been overly impressed with Sonu BBQ staff, food and culture. We appreciate every moment and effort they have accommodated us and our food cravings. 110/10 salmon , meat selections 110/10 , Seafood Tofu Pot 110/10, Spicy Beef Soup 110/10 , and hospitality 110/10 ! The ambiance is infectious once you are seated greeted by service. We have to give a special shout out to Ms.Jackie we've been greatly blessed to have shared moments with Ms.Jackie as she sought out attending to our family and all guests around. Ms.Jackie has a very ambitious personality and charismatic character, we wish we didn't have to move to TX. Ms.Jackie deserves recognition and respect from all Sonu BBQ employees and all future guests who come to find a delicious taste & style in Korean BBQ. GRAB A MACAROON AT THE NUMBER 1 KOREAN BBQ SPOT IN OCEANSIDE, CA!!! read more

Great food, amazing service literally the reason I am leaving this review is because they remember our family everytime we go and the staff are all so kind and equally as intentional and present. Never seen such a well put together team 5 star. Highly recommend their spicy salmon, you can order seasonings on the side, I am gluten free and dairy free and the server was accompanying and asked the chefs to do a gluten free chicken wing basically just chicken fried without batter and it was so juicy ! Thank you Sonu, hope to see you again soon. read more

We are used to really good Kbbq place in LA so we weren't expecting as good when we went to this place- but let me just tell you that this place rivals it and even beat some of them. The service was AMAZING- they treated our kids so well (even got them free ice cream), and they kept checking in on us. The food though- is AMAZING. The steamed egg so comforting, the meats so tender, and the veggies fresh. So happy that we were able to go, I think this will be our go to spot when we are back in Oceanside! read more

OMG this place is the best Korean barbecue that I've ever been to. Never mind that they are local to me, I try these places all over the place. The premium package is definitely worth it as they've now added tempura shrimp...yum!! The Ramen is also top quality but they go to meet is got to be the short rib. read more

The first time here as I was actually meeting up one of my friends from Boston and we live in San Diego this was the middle grounds of our meat adventure. It was actually pretty busy here but thankfully we got on the waitlist early. There is a lot of parking here as well. Service was fantastic. Everyone was awesome and very friendly. We were always being checked up on and I actually really do like the smaller portions so we can try new things I did hear some of the servers speaking Mandarin so I'm wondering if it's Chinese owned or Korean owned but meat was still pretty good. - Brisket was delicious 5/5 since it gets pretty dry, but this is actually really tender. I was surprised. - Kobe 10/5 I wish I ordered more of this. It was actually really good. - Beef Tongue 1/5 usually beef tongue is my go to for anywhere and it's my standard but this one was a little bit lackluster and wasn't as tender as I thought. A little bit more rubbery. - Corn cheese - 5/5 honestly the best corn cheese I've ever had. Idk what other extra flavorings they added but it was amazing. - Soondoboo was delicious as well. Great flavor - Banchan was pretty solid Overall, we had a great time while watching the game there with an awesome atmosphere. We were able to celebrate our friends birthday and be able to chow down. Maybe it was just that batch of beef tongue but hopefully they can try out some other vendors as well to compare! read more

See all

Sonu is our favorite KBBQ in North County! We have been coming for years. So many great things about this spot! Great quality meat, lots of options, sides are delicious and awesome staff. Sounds weird but my favorite thing here is their salad! So simple but the dressing is so bomb, truly i want the secret recipe! read more

Sonu BBQ - Salad, cucumbers, rice paper and brisket - Korean Near Me - Oceanside, California

I am not generally a yelper, but this was the Best Korean BBQ place my family and I have been to for the excellent service and taste/quality of the food. My family and I who are originally from Oahu love Korean BBQ. We currently live in the Bay Area (NorCal), but traveled to Oceanside (SoCal) for my daughter's graduation (Master's in Healtcare Admin), which was held at Frontwave Arena. We yelped for a place to eat Korean BBQ to celebrate and found that Sonu BBQ had 5-star ratings with rave reviews, so we decided to celebrate there. We placed our name on the waitlist and was number 24 in queue! We waited over an hour! At first, we wondered if we should continue to wait as it took so long, but with the reviews being excellent and people still willing to wait, we decided to just be patient. We were elated that we did wait as it was well worth it. The male host was very hospitable and apologized for the long wait-time, but stated that we'll be well taken cared of... and we were! We were immediately given 2 big pitchers of water and Newyear, the waitress came promptly and was very hospitable, kind and friendly. She expeditedly started us off with a generous portion of bonchan, steam rice and kimchee fried rice. Jamie who was also very courteous and thoughtful then came promptly as well to ask us for our order, and our food came instantly. The service was so excellent as our meats, seafood, veggies and requests came immediately with Newyear and Jamie constantly replenishing every request. And the staff keenly changed out our grills as needed, which they did 3 times. Most Korean BBQs are not as keen as we generally have to call to have the grill changed out and if we need more banchan or meats. Furthermore, the taste of the food was very excellent and tasty; so yummy as it was well-seasoned and marinated perfectly. The side sauces were also great to enhance flavor, but you could already taste the flavoring in the meat. The cream corn was also very sweet and yummy. The korean fried rice was very yummy as well, and to top it all off with macaroon ice cream! Mmmm... Yum!!! Moreover, the ambiance was great! Lighting was perfect. Our area was clean and free of disturbance from others, as we could hear our conversations clearly, and the smell of course was filled with the scent of yummy BBQ; we enjoyed our celebratory moment! This restaurant definitely deserves a 5-star rating! We definitely will be back if we are in SoCal again. Keep up the EXCELLENT work, service and quality tasting food! Take Care and God Bless! read more

The food was good. The environment was good. Music was crazy loud. We had five "premium" choice for each person in our group of five. Also ordered beverages. Our bill was over $300 plus tip. It was my husband's 60th birthday and two of our guests drove in from up north (CA) for this special occasion. We ate, we laughed and were talking about our new journey of moving and some girl on 4/19/26 approximately 5:45pm came over and said they (the restaurant) had a two hour limit. Mind you, we were seated at 4:02pm. There was no signs saying 2-hour limit to dine there. We were going to make reservations for our family of 16+ to dine there for our go away party of moving. But after that comment from that girl we will find a different place. Word of advice, you can have good food but it's your customers who pay the money for your success. PS: when we were ordering the different meats and dishes we were told we could only order one rib eye at a time. read more

Sonu BBQ - The restaurant that claims "they a two hour limit" - Korean Near Me - Oceanside, California

Every time I come here it's always so good and good quality. The workers have a good attitude and the food is always good. They do get my order wrong a couple of times but then again, they're taking orders like crazy. read more

Sonu BBQ - Meat and chicken - Korean Near Me - Oceanside, California

Food was good! Staff is friendly and if you time it correctly and add yourself on the yelp app there is little to no wait

First time coming here on a Friday night. The food was great and the staff was too! Our plates were cleared quickly and food was brought out just as fast. I would def recommend coming here. It did get pretty busy so utilize the online waitlist on yelp. read more

See all