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Ssam K-BBQ & Bar

4.2 (329 reviews)
Closed 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM

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SSAM K-BBQ & BAR ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - Ssam K-BBQ & Bar

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Side dishes served upon arrival + spicy cucumber
Marcos M.

This is a place to try! The food is all delicious and the options are endless! They have three different all you can eat packages for higher quality meat as you go up. I tried out the premium and was very satisfied! The place is nice and chill inside. The music was not expected, but it was fun and relevant. The service was great and very quick getting out any and everything!

Lyndsay J.

My boyfriend and I originally had dinner plans elsewhere but due to their waitlist closing early, decided to come to Ssam KBBQ instead. We were pleasantly surprised and highly satisfied with the quality and variety of food they offer, even just on the basic tier menu! We came about an hour before closing and the staff were kindly still willing to seat us. All of the banchan was delicious, especially the macaroni and seaweed salads. Meats were also on point, we mostly eat beef belly and other higher fat meats when doing KKBQ and the marbling on these cuts were great! It's nice that you can order ribeye steaks too! We loved that our table had its own tablet you can order from, so you can see images of how your food is supposed to come out beforehand. Our server kept us well topped up with water without having to ask for a refill, and the restaurant was clean with really pretty bathrooms. I'm giving 4 stars because one thing that threw me off was that lettuce was an extra $1 per serving (3 pieces). I always usually opt for salad, lettuce or reddish paper instead of rice and other heavy carbs for fiber and so I don't tap out too fast, and I tend to consume a lot. If I hadn't noticed the extra charge the second time around I probably would've an extra $10 to my bill. Overall this is a solid KBBQ spot with friendly, efficient service, large variety and great food. Would recommend & consider revisiting when we pass through the Bay Area again!

Jen-Jen B.

Came here with a few friends as one was celebrating their bonus they just received. We were seated promptly and was attended to promptly. The only thing was it was hard for us sitting at the other end of the table when wanting to put an order in without interrupting the person sitting next to the tablet. The orders came quickly and everything was flavorful as usual. My only complaint was the rice paper..not sure if they were overcooked. But they were extra sticking to each other and the cuts were sloppy. But still enjoyed eating with the meats. The daikon was a bit more on the sour side but still yummm. I still consider this one of my top 5 in the area

Banchan
Frances L.

The best AYCE Korean BBQ in the area with quality meats and good service. The menu offers a great variety of meats and cooked foods. I like how often the grill is changed as well.

Gyoza
Billy L.

My partner and I love Korean barbecue, especially AYCE, and we've tried most of the AYCE KBBQ spots around the Bay Area. This was one of the few we hadn't gotten around to yet, and I'm honestly glad we finally did. We came for the lunch special, which is $27 and available Monday through Friday. Overall, this place is now in my top three AYCE Korean BBQ spots. One of the biggest standouts was the service. Orders came out quickly and efficiently, and anything we asked for was brought out almost immediately. Everything is ordered through a tablet, which makes the experience really smooth since you don't have to flag down a server. Compared to places like Gen BBQ where getting help can feel like a struggle, this was a huge plus. Another highlight is the variety. The lunch special costs a little more than some other places, but you also get more options. We ordered gyoza, steamed egg, buldak ramen, tofu soup, and soybean soup. Everything came out hot and fresh, and nothing tasted like it had been sitting around. I really appreciated that the appetizers were made to order instead of coming out lukewarm. The meats were good, but I do think they could be better. What I noticed is that the meats don't seem to be marinated ahead of time. For example, the spicy pork belly tasted like the sauce was just squirted on top rather than the meat being pre-marinated. I think the flavors would be much deeper and better if the meats were marinated earlier in the day or even the night before. That said, we really enjoyed the garlic soy beef belly, which was our favorite. We also ordered the spicy pork belly and garlic soy pork belly, and they were still enjoyable, just not as flavorful as they could be. We also ordered the salad, which had a light vinaigrette-style dressing that helped balance out the meal. Another big plus is that you can order half portions of meat, which makes it easier to try more items without feeling pressured to finish large portions. The only other thing I wish they had was a sauce bar with more variety, similar to places like Chako in Livermore or Seapot. Even with that, we had a great experience. We'll definitely be coming back and honestly regret not trying this place sooner.

Justin M.

The meat here was very good. 3 meats per round felt a little low as there were 4 of us but they got them out really quickly. The middle of dinner the lights got really dim so it felt really dark for most of the time we were there. That is the only reason I deducted a star. Overall this was a good experience with the value being worth the price.

Beef Belly, Brisket & Corn cheese
Isabelle V.

This place is a solid choice for Korean BBQ that I would definitely visit again. The $25 per person lunch deal is an incredible value, especially considering the high quality of the food. They offer a great selection of meats, sides and soup. For the lunch option, you only get octopus for a seafood options. While there is a limit of three choices per round, the staff is incredibly attentive and ensures your orders arrive quickly. Everything tasted fresh and cuts were pretty good quality. The noise level was rather loud for a non-busy Thursday afternoon. I can only imagine how loud it can get for dinner time. If you're looking for a satisfying and affordable AYCE experience, this is the spot.

beef belly and corn cheese. Beef belly is to dieeeee for.
Cynthia W.

We came here last week and it was 20% off M-F lunch in November. Omg what a pleasant surprise!!! We got the basic which is normally 26.99, but even cheaper with our 20% off. I think it is so worth. They have a little ipad at the table for you to order your foods. They bring the items out pretty quickly. They also change the grill often enough. Staff were friendly. Our favorite was the Beef Belly. Omgggg. It was so fatty and yummy. We got 7 orders of it. Ooopsies. But wow. It was delicious. Cheese corn could have had more cheese on it. Also the rice paper kept sticking together and was clumping.

Mylinh V.

You can join the waitlist right on the Yelp app, which made things super convenient. I grabbed a drink at the bar while waiting for my table and the service was quick. Once seated, you order everything from an iPad and the food came out really fast. The team here is super attentive and keeps things running. It is very busy and loud inside so don't expect a calm ambiance. There is a limit on how much you can order at a time, and a timer that prevents you from ordering too quickly, which felt a little restrictive but manageable. I loved how they give you the option of ordering half orders so you don't have to waste food. Overall, it was a great experience with good food and efficient service. The pricing was reasonable. Would definitely come back.

Menu
Christiana S.

Was seated very quickly by the manager who was friendly. You order on an iPad which was convenient and nice because there were clear pictures of each menu item. Only downside was it took awhile for our orders to come out considering it was fairly slow that night, the banchan was okay, the seaweed was a bit too "ocean" tasting if that makes senses. Sandra was our waitress and she was sooo friendly and sweet! Look for her when you come here! She'll take good care of you!

Vegetable Pancake and Some type of yummy chicken
Leslie S.

I had a late night meeting and was pleasantly surprised to see this restaurant closed at 10am. The server,Nick was great! He explained all the dishes that I asked about, answered questions about the different sauces and made suggestions. Food was tasty. I enjoyed the miso soup that had a "kick to it" but my favorite was the vegetable pancake. I will be back!!!

Menu (8/12/2025)
Wayne H.

We were in the area and craving some Korean BBQ. We actually had no idea it was AYCE (my bad for not researching in advance), but the pricing seemed reasonable and overall the meat quality was good. They "throttle" the meat ordering so you can only order one of each kind up to a maximum number of meat dishes every several minutes. It's totally fine for a party of two since it takes a while to cook and eat the meat, but if you're a larger party, I could potentially see this limitation being frustrating, especially if they enforce the time limit. Overall, the meat quality was quite good, especially for an AYCE. The pork belly, pork neck, and pork cheek were super tasty. The beef ribeye and short rib were also quite good. After your first order, each subsequent order seems to be about half the portion size as the initial order, which, again, is fine for two people but may not be great for a larger party. The banchan were okay and we had no issues getting refills when asked. The one thing that felt kind of nickel & dime-y was charging was the lettuce wraps. The name of the restaurant is literally "ssam" and they can't provide lettuce as part of the AYCE? We didn't try too many of the other items since we wanted to try more of the meat cuts, but we did try the soondubu and that was actually pretty good, but of course, in the context of AYCE K-BBQ, it's filler!

Mary L.

My honest review? Maybe 3.7-3.8 stars. Typical choice for Korean AYCE BBQs. Very casual. Come hungry and you'll find out. You can find most parking spots at front entrance. The restaurant is walking distance to nearby hotel and offices. We had the AYCE Premium around $36 per person which included limited seafood selections, but not desserts on the menu. 90-minutes to eat? That's still plenty of time. Order as-you-go from the tablet by your table. No need to wave down the servers too much. Easy BBQ setup. Staffs were helpful. Red meat selections were generous. Order 3 or 4 dishes per round. Don't waste food or get charged extra. We came here to eat and were very hungry. Everything tasted average to good. If only the $36 included desserts, but it didn't. I think their banchan side dishes need an upgrade and the tofu stew needs to be improved. Banchans were average. Best part is the BBQ experience and moments spent inside. People are nice. It's inexpensive for casual AYCE spots. Decent. Don't expect Las Vegas or Los Angeles region Korean BBQs. This isn't anything better, but it's spacious inside for large gatherings and family time. Grill takes awhile to start up or heat up at our spot. I still think the menu choices are somewhat limited, but you do get enough portions to eat here.

Great selection of meats and awesome service.

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18 days ago

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Ssam K-BBQ & Bar Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Ssam K-BBQ & Bar

Do they have a birthday special?

Not quite sure if they have a birthday special for Price but they definitely sing happy birthday and bring out a sparkler

All you can eat for one person? Or is it have to be 2 ppl?

Price is per person. If you are a big eater it is worth the price. Great service as well.

What are the AYCE prices?

Lunch (Mon-Fri 12pm-4pm): $27 Premium: $36 Supreme: $42

Do they take debit or only credit?

They take both.

Can we make reservations for party of 6?

They don't take reservations

Are they now serving the a la carte items on the menu?

Not during dinner time.

How much for ayce?

Between $25-$46 depending on which level. If you scroll in the pics there is a menu pic with pricing on the top of it.

How to make reservation? Cant find the phone number at all!!

They're still in the soft opening stage so they're not taking reservations yet but their phone number is 925-523-2037.

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Ssam K-BBQ & Bar - korean - Updated May 2026

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