This place is Great They have a printed menú but Can make off menu items for you like appetizers. The staff are very friendly and helpful late night. Totally filled our cravings The won't on soup is HUge portion and very flavorful. And they can make everything. Super spicy or very mild . read more

See all

It was too late to go out and I needed to grab some food for dinner. I ordered the beef short ribs from Steve's BBQ to go. They did not include napkins nor utensils. You get a large portion of rice, beef bbq short ribs, bean sprout salad and kimchi. Large portion of meat (enough for 2) was a little fatty, as you might expect, but tender and not overly seasoned. Salad had a rice vinegar dressing and kimchi was flavorful. You get a large portion and could easily split between two people. Hit the spot! read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - 4. Barbecue Short Rib - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Food is good here. Service always pleasant. Ambience is kitchen and chatter. Try what's in the menu. Enjoy read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - Drink - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Perfect way to cap off game day hoops. Staff is nice. Food is fresh and tastes great. Restaurant is clean. read more

See all

I could've sworn I reviewed Steve's, but I guess not?! Anway, I came here last Saturday to pick up some early dinner. I ordered their BBQ short rib plate which came with about 6 huge slabs of short ribs on top of a bed of rice and two sides of kimchee and brussel sprouts. For $20, this plate is massive and is totally worth it! The meat is marinated perfectly and it's fatty with lots of meat. This is a great choice if you're super hungry or even after drinking from the parties, games, etc. I'm a huge of fan of Steve's Korean Bbq and will definitely come again for more. read more

I used to come here all the time when I was going to school at Cal 25 years ago. I was in the area today, so I looked up whether it was still there, and it was! The place looked about the same. I asked the guy at the register if the place was still under the same ownership from 25 years ago, and he said yes. I remembered from college that this place gave generous portions and the taste was pretty good. But with Covid and that 25 years have passed, my expectations were not too high that it would be the same. I ordered the BBQ short ribs with a double order of the bean sprout salad instead of kimchi. The portions were as generous as I remembered, and the taste was as good as I remembered as well. The price was also cheap compared to other Korean restaurants. $20 for a generous order of BBQ short ribs. That's at least $35 else where. If you are looking for a no frills, cheap but good Korean bbq, look no further. This was one of my go-to places when I was in college, and it's just as good as I remembered going back 25 years later. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - BBQ ribs - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Sometimes, everything you need is a Kim Chi stew. The soup here is r really good. Thank you for the meal! read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Been coming here for decades ever since I was a poor undergrad. Generous portions, friendly owner, and late night schedules made me a regular. This place definitely helped me pack on my freshman 15....maybe 30. Cozy little spot in the back of Southside gourmet ghetto. Definitely recommend coming here but don't expect high end Korean food. It's simple soul food for college students. read more

The food was pretty standard and solid. The beef was seasoned nicely, I enjoyed the bean sprouts, and portion size was good (though I think merited given the price). I'd go here for a quick meal with friends if already around, but if I want some real tasty Korean food I will certainly go elsewhere (perhaps Oakland). I don't think the restaurant claims to be any more than it is either, so on the whole as expected. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - 1. BBQ Beef - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Ordered the grilled glass noodle with BEEF, but also got a special surprise of tofu mixed in with my beef. Which would be fine if I wasn't allergic to soy. I called and I was told that there was no tofu in it just black mushrooms. Idk how they were so certain without even asking the person who made it. See pics and tell me that's not tofu? Even google image search said tofu. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - 17. Grilled Glassy Noodle Over Rice Specialty -- with picked out "mushrooms" aka tofu - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

It's still Steve's. Best casual Kbbq southside. Not sure what more to say. Yelp algorithm requires more characters, but really all you need to know is in the first two sentences. read more

I don't believe UC Berkeley has a sumo wrestling team, but this would be the place they'd go to chow down because I've never seen such gluttonous portions of Korean BBQ in my life. Now if this spot was around back when I was an impoverished, calorifically insensitive undergrad way back when, I would've been excited and become a regular customer full stop. Despite my hardening arteries, what's still consistent about me is that I still like a good deal, and let's face it, Steve offers a good deal. I ordered the $19.55 Barbecue Chicken (photo: https://bit.ly/3soHEO8), while Jamie W. had the $20.75 Barbecue Pork Thick Cut (photo: https://bit.ly/3Hhjx8n). Both plates were beyond generous when it came to the meat marinated in whatever soy-based sauce they make in-house. They both rested on a huge bed of white rice which weighed down the plastic takeout tray considerably. The kimchi and bean sprout salad were almost incidental in quantity, but the offsetting crunch was most welcome in the meal. Moreover, given the quantity of food, I appreciated the student pricing. We had the food delivered, but I know their location on Durant all too well from my starving student days. King Pin Donuts, anyone? Ah, memories. FOOD - 4 stars...gut-busting meat that happens to be pretty tasty AMBIANCE - n/a...ours was a delivery but yeah, I know the place SERVICE - 4 stars...delivery has been quick from this place TOTAL - 4 stars...barbecue for the really starving student...and the rest of us RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u read more

See all

It is my go-to spot for quick and tasty KBBQ. I love their Barbecue Short Rib, and here's why it's great - it's seasoned just right and super tender. The sides, like kimchi and bean sprout salad, add extra zing and freshness to the meal. These sides not only complement the short rib beautifully but also refresh your palate. Plus, you get a generous portion of rice to enjoy with everything. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - Barbecue Short Rib - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place used to be my always go to get food from my college days! Came back to check them out.. still the same but this food court has been pretty bad.. many flies inside and outside the place ... The food is still good but not the same anymore read more

Large portions. Food is not refined and not authentic. Good place if you want the portion but not the taste.

As a KBBQ enthusiast, I was super excited to try out this local Korean barbecue spot. I queued up an UberEats order at about 9 pm and it arrived super fast (in under 20 minutes). Unfortunately, my experience left me wanting more. My spicy pork plate ($20ish) lacked the bold flavors that I have come to expect from Korean dishes. The portion size was solid, just very dry and average tastewise. At that price point, I expected more. Might just be a fluke or off night. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - ows a plastic container filled with meat and rice - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Quality versus quantity. That is the eternal question. If you are looking for quantity, Steve's BBQ is the place to go. You really can't go wrong for the amount of food you get for the price. It cost us about $20 per plate which seems pretty high for a quick service joint, but you really get two full meals for that price. So if you are a hungry Cal student this is a great deal for you. However, if you were looking for quality Korean BBQ food, there are so many places to go. FOOD: We ordered two different plates. The soft tofu stew and a barbecue beef plate. Both were just mediocre in flavor. You do get a huge quantity of food but it's kind of like the medium place where it's kind of bland. But if you're looking to bulk up on food this is a great place to go. The food is not bad at all it's just not good either. SERVICE: since we ordered through DoorDash, it's hard to rate the service. They packaged everything up well and all the food came to our door nice and warm. That being said, there wasn't anything extraordinary about the packaging to make it really stand out. On the barbecue plate, the meat covered all of the rice and all of the Bonchon so it was difficult to get unless you dug through the meat first. COST: they shine on cost. At least when you compare it to the amount of food. $20 for a plate is pretty high, but part of that is because of DoorDash fees and Berkeley surcharge. So really at about $15-$16 per plate, hard to go wrong. Still the lack of flavor means we won't be coming back. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - Ban Chan was bland but plentiful - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Steve's is my go-to! Berkeley has many great food options but man when you need a solid reliable spot for great galbi, Steve's hooks it UP with their portions. Honestly could make it into two meals for the price of one. They really reliable and quick when it comes to ordering from them. If you want to go, take it to-go; if you'd like to sit down grab a seat--either way you're going to enjoy the food! read more

Steve's Korean BBQ has always been a favorite since my college days in the late 80's. Great food, great value, and large portions from the meat right down to the pickled bean sprouts and kim chee. It has more recently over the years, been my pre-game meal for Cal football games. I've understood the incremental price increases over the years as long as the portions stayed the same. Recently it has become noticeable that the amount of food has decreased. They provide less meat, less rice, and less sides for my money. It's enough to give me pause when choosing my pre-game meal. Might be time to grab the occasional Top Dog instead of Steve's where previously this used to be a no-brainier selection. read more

A great place for a quick bite. The bbq chicken lunch special is a good deal. And tasty too. The comes up quickly.

Used to frequent this place when I was still on college. It appears to have changed owners, but the food is just as good. Service is quick and the portions are huge. I got the kalbi and the bbq pork dishes. Each comes with a healthy dose of rice, kimchi, and pickled sprouts. The kalbi is cooked as good as they come. I got to thick cut bbq, it's somewhat tougher than your normal pork bulgogi, but the flavoring is good. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - 1. BBQ Beef and bbq 3. Barbecue Pork Thick Cut - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Been going to this place for over 30 years now. Since my college days - now my kids college days. Still great BBQ chicken and galbi for relatively cheap. Not like $5-6 bucks like the old days, but it's still cheap for the amount of food compared to any other korean shop. I always make it a point to stop by for some takeout when I'm in town. Don't come here for the ambience and service...come for the mountain of meats. Ok it's not true Korean fare, but it's no more or less than other ethnic restaurants in gourmet ghetto. Man I dream of Yokohama Station and its undercooked chicken rice dishes...Japanese food...not! Wonder if Steve wants to sell the joint? :-) read more

This review is 20 years overdue. I was a Golden Bear with a limited monthly stipend long before I was a Yelper. Steve's BBQ in Berkeley's Durant Food Court (aka Asian Ghetto) has been serving Korean plate lunches to students for 30 years! I was visiting Cal this weekend for lectures and a networking event, so of course I headed to Steve's for lunch. The food is as I remembered it, although the restaurant seems cleaner and the menu seems to have expanded somewhat. The matron looked like she hasn't aged much - I remember her calling out orders back in the day "Number One to Go! Order Number One!" I opted for the combo spicy pork and chicken lunch plate. Excellent sear and juiciness on the meats over white rice and two generous sides of bean sprouts and kimchi. A lot of food for just under $12! Steve's BBQ has definitely stood the test of time and I consider it one of quintessential Berkeley dining spots, along with Top Dog, Cafe Strada, Cheese and Stuff, and if you can make it through the lines, Cheeseboard. read more

See all

The best thing since sliced bread. It's criminal how I only found out about this place in my junior year. The portion size for the prices are nothing short of amazing; this is probably the first place near campus where I actually wasn't still hungry after buying a meal. Service is great and very quick, faster than fast food restaurants. There is always an abundance of rice and protein which as a competing athlete, is worth its weight in gold. 10/10. read more

Pretty good spot. They're quite the fast food kbbq you'd expect. I always order the specials, & I go here all the time on lunch with my team. The one thing I did notice was, if I order a to go order... I get more, but if I order to eat in, I get LESS... please vote for this review if you agree aha. I wish the quantity contents were consistent for each order. They push orders out like hot cakes, so they're very quick. I must say, it's a good place to eat at. Tons of beverage options, but I recommend ordering to go to get more for what you pay for. read more

With so many options in DFC do yourself a favor and come to Steves. For a little over $13 you can order the beef short ribs and have yourself two meals because portions are HUGE. I opt to get all rice for mine and the entire container has a bed of rice to soak up the marinade once they take it off the grill. Otherwise, you won't be disappointed with the sides of kimchi and bean sprouts. The shredded beef and spicy pork are also go to options and are flavorful. Get some of the spicy sauce on the side and you got yourself a hearty meal. They also have weekly specials so be sure to check out the board for the special or new items! read more

Ordered BBQ beef plate. Portion: small, chipotle size scoop Taste: average- normal bbq beef flavor Texture: bad-- grisly and chewy. Super thin pieces. Feels cheap Price: $17.75 after tax- OVERPRICED I left and was still hungry. Nearly 20 bucks for barely any food? NO THANKS read more

Haven't been here in over 20 years and was so glad to see it is still here. And the food is just as good I remembered! Generous portions for good prices. Meats are grilled when u order them. Kimchee and bean sprouts are perfectly seasoned and crunchy. It fed me well during my college days and was very happy to see they are still serving up good eats! read more

With the busy life of a college student, fast meals that fill you up and can be prepared quick are hard to come by. Steve's BBQ does it's job by providing meals that contain some sort of meat, rice, and kimchi. My usual go to is the BBQ chicken. Overall, pretty much tastes how it looks. Solid charring on the chicken with a hint of marination. The kimchi and bean sprouts added a refreshing taste after each bite. Not the best, not the worst. Just average. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - 5. Barbecue Chicken - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

3.5 stars, okay beef short ribs, satisfies cravings ~$20 w/ tax for beef short ribs over rice + 2 toppings (bean sprouts & spicy cabbage). Short ribs were decent- not of the highest quality (as expected). For the price, they give you *a lot* of meat BUT lots of the pieces have lots of fat on them. As a result, I have to eat w/ a pair of scissors to cut out the fat to minimize the taste the oiliness when I eat. Good amounts of the meat were lost in the progress. Regardless, there's still a decent amount of *decent* meat that will fill you up. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - 4. Barbecue Short Rib - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

after all these years it still hits. my go to is the chicken plate. I've been coming here when I went to school 20 years ago and still tastes like I remembered. gotta add the red sauce for the flavor. Definitely one of my favorite spots in Berkeley. thanks for keeping the same quality read more

Wow! This place is still here...I used to come here when I was attending UCB!! Im not sure if its the same owner or changed hands. But the menu is essentially unchanged!!! They should have a sign up saying, "1 million hungry college students satisfied by Steve's BBQ!" I came with some friends after working out nearby and had a ferocious appetite. And though I've been trying reduce my weight, I embarked on the spicy chicken plate. The flavors of the kimchi and pickled bean sprouts are just as I remember them. Not blow your mind but yummy nonetheless! The fresh crunch and sour flavour just fills one's mouth with satisfaction. The grilled chicken was ok and mildly spicy. It takes a few bites and chews before you start to have the feeling but its there. The portion size is typical but i didnt finish the whole thing and saved some for lunch the next day. Of course I could have though. Just an overall tasty meal that goes down Fast and Furious especially when you're hungry!!! read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Nice little hole in the wall tucked in the back corner. Was craving some short ribs and this place hit the spot. The marinate on the short ribs were hella good. Not salty or anything, the perfect balance. And to add there short ribs were meaty and nice and tender. Will definitely come eat here again. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - 4. Barbecue Short Rib with Egg - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

After my bad experience here last time, I thought that I would never come back. However, the universe had other plans and decided that every restaurant that accepts credit cards had to be closed. Since I don't carry that much cash on me, I had to come to Steve's, and surprisingly, when there's no plastic in your food, it's actually pretty good. Is it authentic Korean food? Definitely no. But is it a lot of food for a cheap price? Hell yes. They give you so much meat and rice here that you could easily portion an entree into two meals. I got the BBQ pork and it was pretty good. The meat was tender and had a good amount of fattiness. It was seasoned nicely and had a little bit of spiciness and sweetness. Although I like the food, I'm not giving this place five stars because I still have flashbacks to the pieces of plastic/unknown substance in my food. But if you're a broke college student like me and want a lot of food for a cheap price, this is a good option. read more

Years later Steve's is still the best value in town. We went here frequently as students, but as adults the food is still good enough for the price and portions. read more

There was a live roach in our food. !!! I called and was told sorry and come tomorrow for refund. I reported on Doordash. This place needs a health inspection ASAP read more

This is a great place for korean bbq. I have been here 30 years ago and the bbq taste is still the same. Portions are generous and food is tasty. They expanded their menu but I have yet to try any of the soups. My favs are the bbq chicken, spicy pork and kalbi read more

No frills, great value, DANK GALBI. FOOD You really can't go wrong with their galbi plate. It comes with kimchi, bean sprouts banchan, and a fat stash of rice topped HIGH with galbi. I'll admit the galbi cuts aren't FANTASTIC, but the plate IS $15 and could feed both my bf and me. If that's not Berkeley value, idk what is. MOOD Super no frills, eat and go place. Don't expect too much from the ambiance! It's most definitely a quintessential college town fast local eatery. 'TUDE Again, no goddamn frills. Order. Eat. Go. read more

It's been a while for me but this place is solid student food. Pretty darn good food, lots of food, and great value. The Korean bbq is all good. All come with rice, their house made kimchi and a sweet pickled bean sprout. They also have a no carb option, basically meat on romaine. Plenty of food for two meals unless you're really hungry. Very little ambiance but hey it's about the food right? read more

Been around for decades and is still just as good. Fantastic quick Korean bbq, best in the area