Great happy hour super service and great food we enjoyed sitting at the bar and watching the bartenders mix drinks

Returned with friends for an early dinner at Southgate and all agreed it was terrific! We were thankful that the front door had an outer foyer to keep most of the winter chill outside. We took advantage of some of the happy hour specials (until 6:30PM) to get banchan and Southgate Fries before individual orders of dolsot bibimbap--mine with tofu. I'm not sure how the chef creates such wonderfully steak-y, flavorful mushrooms, but they're really something! read more

Southgate - Dolsot bibimbap with tofu - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Yum! Small restaurant space and is pretty crowded and loud but enjoyable! The food was really good and the soju is delicious. read more

Southgate - Bulgogi Beef Ssam - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I came in while it was a packed house (a company party), and sat at the bar. The staff were super friendly, I got a good suggestion for my food & beer pairing and had tasty fries. I'll definitely be back. What a cute place! read more

Southgate - Southgate fries: drenched in a spicy garlic sauce, perfect crunch and so yummy! - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Southgate is that girl! It is always on point. The staff is amazing! The space is great. The food is beyond good! The way I always say "I need to eat here more," after my meal is some insight. read more

Southgate - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Loved the Noona cocktail! If my liver could handle 5 of them I would have ordered that many, it was SO good. Went on a Wednesday & the atmosphere was lively. I sat at the bar & enjoyed the food. The bartenders were great! read more

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Service was super quick and the server was very friendly. He was very knowledgeable about the menu. Plus he spilt the check between eight people. The ambience was great. I was part of large group and we were able to hear each other. And the food was good as well. Definitely will return! read more

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One of my favorite establishments. The food, service, and ambiance are consistently excellent. I go to many restaurants, but only a handful are worth visiting more than once--and this is definitely one of them. Looking forward to enjoying more al fresco dining here when the weather gets warmer. read more

very good Korean food in Rittenhouse! Perfect for when I don't have the time to get to Chinatown. Love their soy Korean fried chicken and that it's a local spot instead of going to say Bonchon. Outdoor dining option with cute hanging lights, soju mixed drinks, sizzling bibimbap! Super friendly staff as well. I love how they do community events i.e. world cup block party. Only thing I didn't love was the spicy cucumber appetizer. Prices ranged from $10-25 I'd say & Not sure if they have a happy hour or not read more

Awesome spot for happy hour. The Kimchi Burger and Southgate fries were delightful. Server Patrick was super helpful and kind for a sweet happy hour. The mystery beer was so cool too! read more

Southgate - Kimchi Cheeseburger & Southgate Fries - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cool interior, very bustling, there was a wait so we ate at the bar. Bar tender was very kind Reason I'm giving 4 stars is cause the wait was forever and the Brussel sprouts were overcooked in our opinion, very very heavy charred flavor taking over. Image in there The bar was very good and the sausage was an experiment of mine. Not bad but I am biased against. The cabbage and beef was very good though, we enjoyed that experienced. And the fried wings were great ! I always have to try K fried wings read more

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Cool spot. Food was delicious -- got the bossam and it was delightful. Service is decent, could be better honestly. Overall a good spot to try if you're in the area. read more

Southgate - Pork Belly Bossam - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I went with a group for happy hour food and had a great time! The staff were really nice and patient, and they sat us in the large table in the back near the kitchen. I liked watching the chefs work through the window. We got southgate fries to share; they smelled SO GOOD, were super garlicky, and came were sriracha mayo! I also enjoyed the beef and pork bao buns. The food, the people, and the vibes of the restaurant were all great, and I'm excited to come back. read more

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We had never had Korean food before and decided to dine in last week when it was snowy and we were craving comfort food. This was the perfect, cozy spot! Service was amazing -- they even brought us a complimentary house specialty cocktail after we inquired about it! We ordered 2 hot bibimbap bowls (spicy pork & shrimp) and both were delicious and comforting. Portion size was extremely generous (we had lots of leftovers!). Vibe was bumping -- a small place that was packed without feeling too claustrophobic. A perfect first experience with Korean food that will undoubtedly become a new go-to. read more

Delicious Korean food. We visited Southgate on a Saturday night, and it was busy but there was always at least one table available while we dined. The restaurant is small with the bar occupying much of the space and a television behind the bar that played a movie while we visited. I tried the family by choice to drink, brussel sprouts and vegetable mandoo as starters, and bibimbap with tofu as a main. The family by choice was delicious with the smokiness of the mezcal providing a perfect complement to the overall tart, citrusy flavor. The brussels sprouts were splendid and perfectly cooked. The vegetable mandoo was piping hot and had a lovely flavor. The bibimbap was as excellent as any that I have eaten. Overall, I had a great experience at Southgate and would highly recommend them for casual Korean food in Philly. read more

super delicious korean american food. great for happy hour, and it gets packed quickly - felt lucky to be there without a reservation. I showed up in the middle of happy hour and they luckily had a table open. I ordered the happy hour burger, fries, and bao buns; all were delicious but not something i necessarily dream about. the atmosphere seemed casual for the happy hour but i assume it gets more formal as people show up for date nights. You can order a larger plate of fries to share. there did not seem to be much parking, i walked there read more

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The service was amazing. The waiter made a mistake and covered one of our entrees. Very intimate environment and you definitely need a reservation. read more

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Everything was delicious! We sat outside and had terrific food and drinks and wonderful service. Bulgogi bao buns, wings, garlic gorchujang fries, and fried dumplings. Highly recommend! read more

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A really enjoyable spot! The food was excellent, and the servers were both informative and friendly. The happy hour offerings were also impressive. read more

I enjoyed everything about this place! The food was very very good and reasonably priced. The place was clean and the service was very attentive. Our waiter was great! I love the concept of mystery drinks, which they offer beer or seltzer. I highly recommend the bao buns. SouthGate even offers happy hour, so give that a try! Overall, I would highly recommend and I will be back soon! read more

Southgate - Bao buns (pork, mushroom, beef) - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Overall good vibe and service! The vegetarian bibimbap was not the best I've had before, and could have used some more flavor. The gochugang fries were a hit. Would recommend for some casual drinks and food on the side with friends. Drinks were made well and customized based on preferences. read more

Southgate - tofu bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Food was amazing and service was lovely. Prices and portions were good. Highly recommend. Overall cool peeps. Make sure to get a reservation! It gets crowded. read more

I went during happy hour the best time to sample several items on the menu. My choices the pork bao buns, kimchi, Korean hot chicken sandwich and a citywide. I Loved the pork bao buns and kimchi. The Korean hot fried chicken sandwich was just so so it lacked the hot chicken and spicy Korean spice punch, it was kind of bland. The restaurant bar is a little narrow but a fair amount of seating. There is additional seating with heated lamps outside. Nice ambiance with an open kitchen. The service was excellent! Would I return? In a heartbeat! read more

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Bartender was attentive, food was delicious, I've had leftovers for two days. The happy hour is a steal and the doisot bibimbap is huge!

Vibes: casual, almost pub-like; bring a friend or a few Tasting notes: - Bossam: buttery, slightly charred, fairly salty pork belly; appreciated the warning regarding the extreme saltiness of the baby shrimp; would have preferred lettuce as the wrap, though cabbage helped cut the salt and offered a lovely crunch; enjoyed the banchan over the perfectly cooked rice - Bulgolgi burger: slightly sweet, wonderfully juicy meat; loved the pillowy bun; excellent meat-to-bun ratio; thick-cut fries made more addicting with the accompanying aioli - Peanut Chew Tart: rich and smooth chocolate combined with the slightly chewy, slightly gooey nougat and light, crumbly shortbread is a winner; loved the generous dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream - Soju Punch: on the sweeter side and very fruity, dangerously sippable Other thoughts: - Big plus with the weekend happy hour - Fast and attentive service - A lot of steps into and through the restaurant Impression: satisfies the very specific craving of Korean comfort food paired with soju! read more

Southgate - Peanut Chew Tart - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I will start of by saying that the staff here is EXCEPTIONALLY patient and kind. I was super impressed and some other reviews here can attest to the same. I had to change my reservation several times and had plenty of questions related to the menu and they were so patient. I got the Southgate fries which I personally liked! They are thick cut and I personally loved how garlick-y it is. The garlic flavor is like garlic already peeled from the store versus garlic peeled in live time but I can see how pre peeled garlic saves time. The dolsot bibimbap was subpar. I had high expectations and there was almost no flavor. I got shrimp as an add-on and thought they gave enough shrimp. There was no kick, salt or flavor to it. The rest of my table got the fried chicken and katsu burger. GREAT portions. The katsu burger was "cooked to perfection." Huge portions, fried chicken can be shared between at least 3 people. Prices are fair, appetizers and entree prices are only a couple dollars of difference. They price the food in accordance to proportions. Also! Since we got fries as apps, they swapped out the fries with our burger with brussel sprouts! The brussel sprouts have an impeccable sauce added! Not too spicy, a bit tangy actually! We asked for the dessert menu but opted to not get anything as we were full! I would suggest adding some more vegan options to the menu! Would've loved to try a vegan version of the chicken! read more

Southgate - menu - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Most underrated restaurant in Philly! The food is always delicious (you have to try the wings) and the staff are so kind and attentive. I truly don't know how this place hasn't blown up yet. Special shout out to Joseph who made sure we had an amazing time tonight! read more

Southgate - Korean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Such a great Happy Hour! Pricing is reasonable, and the food and drink offered on the HH menu are more than just appetizers - it's a full meal! Even better, this place offers HH later than other spots, ending at 7 pm. We ordered from the HH menu, and we were not disappointed. The servings are decent-sized and shareable; we got the banchan set, mushroom and tofu bao buns, and the Southgate fries. I can't really choose a favorite as they were all so tasty. As for drinks, you can't go wrong with the Southgate Citywide - a pint of Kirin beer and a shot of soju for $6 is a steal! If you can't decide, then go for the mystery beer or seltzer. It's brought to you in a brown bag, and they guarantee you won't get the same drink if you subsequently order the mystery drink. There is some outdoor seating, but because of the heat, most people, including us, sat indoors, where it was quite crowded. We noticed that most people coming in had reservations, so be sure to have one beforehand. Our server, Joseph, was very friendly and attentive to our needs, even taking the time to chat and get to know us despite how busy he was. I highly recommend this restaurant and am definitely adding it to my options of go-to restaurants for the next time I'm in Philadelphia. read more

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I've lived in the neighborhood for nearly 4 years and have never came to Southgate until recently. I've been missing out!! As many others have said, the happy hour is amazing and it goes until 7 which is rare. Souju punch is refreshing and tasty. I loved the bao buns (beef specifically) and the burger was delish. Ordered medium rare and came out that way. A place you'll want to make a reservation during any primetime, but despite a packed restaurant we were able to snag two seats at the little side bar. read more

Great food and service on New Year's Eve. Delightful take on Korean American fare. Drinks were also a highlight of the evening. Typically, you'll need reservations. read more

Freaking outstanding. Deserves six--no, wait--seven stars. Such a fun place! Great food with creative and/or traditional takes. Loved the bao buns, loved the bibimbap. Great value too, and FUN...I can't recommend the Mystery Beer enough. They have a bunch of random cans of beers behind the bar, if you ask for the mystery beer, they grab one at random put it in a paper bag and set that in front of you. Four bucks is all. If you are feeling adventurous, or indecisive, it's a blast. Bring your friends, earn hipster points. read more

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I would give South Gate 3.5/5 stars. So many people kept telling me check out Southgate because they have an amazing happy hour which is true! I think they're happy hour prices are really good. But I was expecting the restaurant to do Korean American flavors better. The best item I tried was their burger. In my opinion, there are few places in Philly that makes a juicy meaty classic burger. Southgate definitely did not disappoint! Their burger was exactly how a classic burger should be! I was disappointed with the southgate fries. They were too salty and overly sour. I expected the fries to be saucy and covered with gochujang aioli and sprinkled with gochugaru for garnish. But the fries were covered with a weird coagulated garlic sauce that was very sour. I think they added too much of one ingredient. And the aioli was on the side, the gochujang just seemed like it was added for color and not for flavor. The bao buns were just meh. The buns weren't as fluffy as I thought it would be. I was disappointed with the meats because they lacked depth in flavor. I don't think they make their bulgogi sauce from scratch. As a Korean American myself I was disappointed with the flavors. I think southgate is playing it safe with Korean flavors. Although my American husband loved everything and wants to go back. The restaurant is very cramped. You're sotting so close to the other table that I kept eavesdropping into other conversations. Also because southgate is popular, I felt like the service is trying to get people in and out at a quicker pace. I'll probably be back because my friends really like it here. read more

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This is not authentic Korean food. It is more like American style try to be Korean food. The Chef is not Korean. I have tried so many authentic Korean restaurants and I know what real and what's not. read more

The mushroom bao buns are out of this world and I would eat an uncomfortable number of them. Their happy hour special is fantastic! Can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Excellent for vegetarians! read more

Closer to a 3.5/3.75 -- so I rounded up. I had a high expectation going into the place but unfortunately, it fell short on taste for me. My friend and I ordered spicy wings, spicy pork bao, and southgate fries to share and I had the miso ramen. Everything were cooked to perfection; wings were falling off the bone nicely while outside were perfectly crisp, pork were also tender, the fries were cooked well and the char siu on the ramen were melting in my mouth. My issues were with the taste/seasoning. We thought we got the wrong wings order that we had to asked if they gave us the soy or spicy because my friend and I could not taste anything else but saltiness. The southgate fries were also oh so salty that we ended up asking for a side of hot sauce (& that hot sauce was hottt but it was so good). Spicy pork didn't taste spicy, it was lacking that Korean spicy pork kick but fortunately, it was not salty. My spicy miso ramen -- the taste was ok. Noodle were cooked well and so was the pork and egg. The broth taste clean but it didn't click as a spicy miso ramen. I didn't find it "ramen" enough if I was to compare it to a Japanese ramen or even a Korean package ramen, it didn't resemble; it taste more like noodle soup to me and I didn't taste spicy. It could be my tastebuds preference, unfortunately, for me the taste fell short. The soju punch was really good tho. I did like that they do happy hour till 7, even on weekends. Might give it a second try since everything were cooked so well. read more

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Food could've been better, restaurant was smaller than expected, but still very cosy. I do not recommend for groups, but it's really good for a few people or a very casual date. Service was great, can't complain. read more

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SouthGate is a go-to spot for happy hour, dinner, and just because for my group of friends. The food is delicious, the service is great, and the drinks are reasonably priced. It's nearly impossible to go wrong here. Some menu highlights include: - The Korean Fried Chicken, as far as sauce goes, I'm a soy girl but friends rave about the spicy too - The Southgate fries, THE GOCHUJANG AIOLI IS DELICIOUS! I always ask for more. - Dolsot Bibimbap, totally worth the additional cost for the hot stone pot because the rice gets perfectly crispy. - The Bulgogi Burger, and if you're there for happy hour then you have to get the burger and beer special. For happy hour, my personal favorite is the Southgate citywide. They also have a craft beer of the day and mystery beer (comes out in a paper bag) for $4. The options are great, especially for the price point! I'd also recommend trying the yakult soju! Our server brought us a round of these once because he heard we were celebrating a birthday. This was delicious and almost tasted like an alcoholic go-gurt in the best possible, most delicious way. read more

5/5 for the happy hour. walk in seating only at the bar, might not have a table for your group if you aren't early enough (like 5 ish). 5 dollar kirin, a huge bowl of fries, decent buns, suboptimal pajeon and dumplings (too oily and no flavor in the pancake). overall everything is sweet and spicy sauces. really a prime place to grab a cold beer and split some snacks, unsure if id go for the actual food at full cost. $35 pp after tax and tip for a beer and honestly a lot of snacks (fried chicken, fries, buns, pancake, dumplings) split with 1 other person read more

Loved the aesthetic and chill ambiance of this place! Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable of their menu. His recommendations were awesome. Food was definitely on point! Keep in mind that their menu is actually a little bit different than what is online. Seems like they change some of their featured dishes often. The food was nicely seasoned and tasted like what I expected. We ordered the tofu and the mushroom bao buns and were not disappointed. The shiitake mushrooms tasted smoky and the cucumbers worked well with the slightly salty tofu. Only a few complaints with our experience here 1) the gochujang for the dolsot bibimbap was already in the bowl upon serving and 2) Having to pay for banchan lol. Traditionally in korean restaurants, gochujang sauce is usually placed on the side or in a squeeze bottle so you can control the amount of spice in your dish and banchan are served on the house and on the side. It is however a gastropub so it's one of those things you can take or leave it. The cabbage/radish kimchi we got were more on the fermented side than I usually like, but we really loved the cucumber kimchi. The right amount of sour/spicy/sweet and crunch were just chefs kiss. Their creme brulee was recommended by our server and it was fantastic! Super creamy with the right amount of sweetness. It wasn't heavy at all! As for their drinks... I only got to try one cocktail since it was actually pretty strong hahaha. It was a delicious drink regardless - you'll definitely taste the rum more than the soju. I will definitely come back to try more drinks in the future. Their happy hour actually runs until 7pm which is later than most places. We'll be back! read more

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Southgate is one of my top restaurants in Philly. They have something for everyone! Want a delectable, comfort food burger? Gotta go the crispy chicken sandwich. Want something lighter and healthier? The bibambop and hot stone bowl dishes are flavorful, fresh, and delightful. In the mood for soup? I'm still thinking about the thick, warm pork belly miso ramen soup. Just there for fries and a cocktail? You're in luck, they have a mean happy hour that runs for insane hours (till 7PM EVERY DAY of the week). They have ample vegan and vegetarian food. The prices are reasonable. I can't recommend the food enough. I've had half the menu now and nothing has been short of perfect. The servers are kind and attentive. I didn't know much about soju, and they explained all the different types for me. I opted for a bottle, which is certainly cost effective if youre trying to catch a buzz, but I preferred the taste of their soju cocktails. Beers are quite cheap during their happy hour. It's small and pretty crowded inside--definitely close quarters--so if you're looking for somewhere more intimate or quiet this probably isn't the place, although there's much more space outside for the warmer months. All around a great place for so many occasions, from date night to happy hour drinks with friends to a healthy quick lunch out. Try SouthGate! You will definitely be back. read more

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