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Steve's Korean Bbq

3.6 (538 reviews)
ModerateKorean, Barbeque
Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

Order Steve's Korean Bbq Takeout or Delivery

Steve's Korean Bbq Photos

STEVE'S KOREAN BBQ ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Steve's Korean Bbq

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

BBQ ribs
Si Si L.

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.

17. Grilled Glassy Noodle Over Rice Specialty -- with picked out "mushrooms" aka tofu
Emily D.

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.

1. BBQ Beef
James B.

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.

Barbecue Short Rib
Alice H.

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.

ows a plastic container filled with meat and rice
Kyle M.

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.

Montage of images from Steve's Korean Bar-B-Que
Ed U.

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

Ban Chan was bland but plentiful
Craig Y.

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.

1. BBQ Beef and bbq 3. Barbecue Pork Thick Cut

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1 year ago

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

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

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

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3 years ago

Tasty w/good portion sizes. Has Decent prices. Have delivery so can't speak to ambiance but comes neatly packaged.

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6 years ago

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Steve's Korean Bbq Reviews in Other Languages

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Smokin Woods BBQ

Smokin Woods BBQ

(1.3k reviews)

$$

Temescal, North Oakland

After work Easter dinner. We finally dined in here…read more Really good BBQ spot. Glad we came here. Everything looked so yummy when it came. Good flavors from everything. My favorite was the mac & cheese and brussels sprouts. The meats were so tender! Although, I tried a piece of pork link, for some reason, I didn't like it. It seemed too grainy. The ambience was chill, and they have full bar. Nice and spacious. My only complaint is that I was trying to order & the phone rings & the host took the call. What I learned in customer service in my 20 years +, you attend to the customer in front of you first. Phone calls can wait. When she got off the phone, other workers came over and they started talking about what's next in their schedule. Still, I'm over here, waiting to order the rest of the stuff. That what the unprofessional part of things.. Glad we still came here to try. It still earned a star to come back!

The ambiance felt more like being at a loud concert than a place to sit and enjoy a meal. As for…read morethe "service," there really wasn't any--food was brought out on tin cookie sheets with whatever they had left, since they were out of chicken, tri-tip, and most of their meats. The food itself was extremely disappointing. The potato salad was clearly not homemade and very bland. The collard greens were overly salty. The pulled pork was dry and had no flavor. The brisket came as two very thin, tiny slices that looked more like pieces of bread than meat. I also ordered a sausage, and it was soggy with a ground beef-like texture, as if it had been sitting in water. For $18, I expected something that at least resembled sausage. The ordering process was inconvenient--you place your food order at the register, then have to go separately to the bar to order and pay again for drinks. In total, we spent $100 for two meals (each with one meat and two sides), two IPAs, and the sausage. Definitely not worth it. Would I recommend this place? Maybe if you just want to grab a beer and don't plan on having a conversation due to the noise. But for the food--absolutely not. I'm from Texas, and I've never had barbecue this disappointing.

Pig in a Pickle - baby back ribs

Pig in a Pickle

(297 reviews)

$$

This lives within the food court next door to Guitar center and is my goto in east bay for an…read moreexcellent brisket. Nothing else is as consistently good in quality and service as these folks. Their sides of collard greens and pickles are also great.

Tucked away inside the Public Market in a little side nook, this is easily one of the best barbecue…read morespots I've come across in the Bay Area. It's the kind of place you almost miss if you're not looking for it, but once you find it, you'll keep coming back. The brisket, pulled pork, and spare ribs are consistently excellent. The meat is incredibly tender, it basically melts in your mouth, and that deep, smoky flavor really seeps all the way through, not just on the surface. The sauces come on the side, and they're free, so don't be shy about asking for extra. I actually asked if there was a limit once, and the cashier laughed and said something like, "Maybe six containers?" If I'm being picky, I'd probably skip the hot links next time. They're not bad, just nothing special compared to how strong everything else is, slightly smoky, but otherwise pretty standard. The collard greens are a standout side dish. They've got this nice acidity that cuts through the richness of the meat really well. There is a noticeable vinegar tang, though, so if that's not your thing, you might want to pass, but if you like that balance, they're great. Another big bonus, there's a park right outside the building near the exit by Cashew Creamery. It's perfect if you've got kids. There's this whale structure they can climb into (through the mouth or side), with a slide on top and climbing holds all over -- fins, back, tail, the whole thing. There are also surfboard-style balance boards on springs and plenty of open space and greenery to run around. And if you're making a little outing of it, it's only about a 10-minute walk to Bay Street, so you can easily pair your meal with a stroll, some shopping, or more food and drinks nearby.

Everett & Jones - 3-Way Combo

Everett & Jones

(987 reviews)

$$

West Berkeley

Ever since Ms. Mary, the owner of Everett and Jones passed away, Sorry to say - you never know…read morewhat to expect in terms of food quality from E&J these days. I happened to be in the bay near university right around the time the store opened and since they are my favorite bbq spot, decided to give them another try. I'm so glad I did. Got a 3 way with ribs, sliced beef and links with sides of potato salad and baked beans for $46.00. Again, so glad I went. Everything was delicious! The meat was cooked to perfection and tender. The sliced beef had pieces of garlic cooked into it. So good! The beans were a little too sweet for my liking and the potato salad was basic potato salad made to satisfy many different palates so it was just ok. But the star of the show was the meat and it didn't disappoint. Everything was hot and fresh. The bbq sauce was hot and there was plenty of it on the meat. One change I noticed was the walk up window. No longer are you able to walk inside the building. All orders are taken at one window and picked up at a different window. The guy taking my order was nice and friendly. He smiled a lot, told me that I Clearly hadn't been there for a few months when I commented on the new walk up window. When I mentioned I live out of town, he thanked me For stopping by on my visit to the bay. Ms. Mary would have been proud all the way around, for the food, service and the presentation this particular day!!!

I order delivery through the Uber app. This was our first time eating from this restaurant. I…read moreordered the four-way combo & 2 orders of Biscoff banana pudding. Unfortunately, the banana pudding was not delivered. I did request a refund through the Uber app regarding the banana pudding's missing from the order. As for the four-way combo. The meats order was the ribs, brisket , link, and the burnt ends. Unfortunately, the combo did not have any burnt ends, instead it seemed like extra ribs. As for the sides with the combo, we did ordered the mac & cheese and the potato salad. The mac & cheese was slightly different than other mac & cheese, I've had from other places. It seemed to have a little bit of different spices in it, a strong garlic and paprika taste. As for the potato salad, at first, I wasn't sure if it was potato salad or mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, the potato salad did not taste or seem at all like potato salad to me. They pour the barbecue sauce on top of all the meat. The only problem with that, is by the time we got the bag it was soaking wet at the bottom with the barbecue sauce that had spilled out of the container. Personally, I feel, orders for delivery or to go should have had the barbecue sauce on the side to prevent this from leaking outside of the container or in somebody's vehicle.

Don Blanc - marinated boneless angus short rib (주물럭)

Don Blanc

(295 reviews)

$$$

Temescal, North Oakland

I always start by saying the parking situation, being a tiny tiny lot you need to be extremely…read morelucky for. Even street parking on a weeknight is a bit hard because it's right where everything is on telegraph in Oakland. You'll find a spot around, just a matter of walking a bit further. It's not an AYCE spot but you're paying for the meat quality which is really worth it. The service is wonderful here. There's a button on the table if you can't flag anyone down if you need something. We got our appetizers first which is what I really like in a restaurant and then the good quality meat comes out. I always get cheese corn if I see it on the menu and tbh, this one was just ok. They come with a good big set of bonchons for you to enjoy as well. For 2 people, we got a 3-4 person meat platter (set A) and it was actually enough food for us to finish just because the meat was THAT delicious and great quality. They opt to cook for you as well if you're patient to wait because they do that for a lot of tables. We just weren't patient and cooked our own, they were already plenty busy, no need to add more work. If but you don't like cooking, but enjoy your kbbq, this is a good spot to check out.

Had my birthday celebration here today with friends and Don Blanc Oakland did not disappoint!…read more Amazing food, outstanding service, and such a welcoming atmosphere. Wi was really helpful, and John & Chris made the night even better with their great energy and entertainment. Perfect place for celebrations -- highly recommended!

Steve's Korean Bbq - korean - Updated May 2026

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