What inspired me to walk into this restaurant was looking at the plate portions and the fact that it was a K-BBQ place but in hindsight I lightly regret choosing this place to eat lunch. Everything about this place seemed like your typical hole-in-the-wall restaurant (cheap, not a lot of people, slightly dirty) but I had high hopes when I saw that this place had BBQ chicken; I love anything BBQ and chicken is awesome too so by instinct I had to choose it. But reflecting back on the meal, it makes me regret choosing this place. The meal was satisfactory for me except for one thing. The chicken was dry, charred, and almost tasteless. After the first bite, I immediately regretted choosing the dish. I had to drench my entire plate with the red sauce to try and salvage my meal and make the dish more tasteful but, truth be told, any sauce should never overpower the meat's flavor; it's only meant to compliment it. Unfortunately, I had to pour the sauce on. Heavily. Otherwise I think I would've given up and not have finished my meal. I'm not usually a picky person when it comes to eating, but burned and tasteless chicken is definitely not what I expect when I think of K-BBQ chicken. read more

Eww. I should of known from the name I was not going to be satisfied with this place. Steve's Korean BBQ? More like Steve's yucky food in a box. I ordered veggie bi bim bap. Now how in the hell can you mess up rice, veggies, and an egg? Well, it's possible. Rice was cold, hot sauce was bland, and the veggies seemed a couple of days old. Upside. It was insanely cheap. $5.00. Will probably not go back though, as I type this, I'm developing a bad food related headache. read more

Steve's Barbecue is as far away from good Korean food as it gets. Out of all the restaurants in the Asian ghetto , Steve's would probably be my least favorite after Panchos. I have been there a couple of times and tried almost every item on their barbecue menu. The portions are huge which seems to be the only thing going for Steve's. The service wasn't exactly top notch either. What put me off the most was the bland tasteless texture of the meat which seemed to be undercooked as well. The kimchi that came along on the side felt as if it had been taken straight out of the fridge. It felt stale and bland. -1 star for bad tasting food. -1 star for overpricing bad food -1 star for lack of authenticity ( if you want to open a Korean barbecue place make sure that it serves real Korean food and not generic tasteless food) +1 star for large servings read more

Man, there's something so addictive about that red sauce. Every time I eat here, I just spray that shit all over my food like there's no tomorrow. Just hosing the meat down like I'm the mayor of Red Sauce Town. You smell what the Rock is cooking? But no, the food is great. One plate can seriously feed like two mouths. And it's quality BBQ too! If you order the short rib combo plate, be prepared to use up a environmentally-dangerous quantity of napkins. Seriously, you'll be hacking rain forests down like a Republican with the amount of napkins you'll need. It's that much food. But all in all, I love Steve's although he's never around no more. Where did he go? It's always the two goofy Mexican guys. Those guys crack me up. They're always playing Mexican music which is funny because it's a Korean restaurant. But who's complaining? Good food, good people, gotta love this place. read more

The food is damn cheap and comes in large portions, but other than there's really no appeal here. The bi bim bap is served in a plastic kid's bowl instead of a hot stone bowl and the kim chi is fresh from the freezers Costco. The meat is a little rough, but at least they give you a lot of it. And who the hell is Steve? Much like any other venue in the asian ghetto, unless you're a freshman at UC Berkeley, be prepared to feel really old. read more

So I've heard jokes like this is like Steve's Mexican BBQ rather than Steve's Korean BBQ, and only tried this place last year. Surprisingly, it's not so bad. I love their Dak-gu-i (BBQ chicken, I think) - not because it's like a korean dish, but more because it reminded me of Shaslik, a dish I had in Kazakhstan. For those who know what that is, seriously, it's SUPER similar. Also, they make Cabbage Kimchi that's different from the usual Kimchi (which is made from Napa Cabbage). Some might not like it because it taste different, but I've had those kind of things when I was a kid, so it actually gave me nostalgia. Weird, I know. Anyway, they give a lot of rice, and even though sometimes they burn the chicken a little too much, it's a place I'd go when I'm really hungry and I want korean food, fast. They're usually not that packed, so your order comes out pretty soon. read more

Best bang for your buck for the Telegraph area. For $9 you'll get meat, meat and more meat. I come here if and only if I have a high craving for meat. If you want quality, go to Oakland or San Jose. If you're looking for large portions of meh Korean food, this is the place to go. Credit cards are accepted! For some reason this place is one of the emptiest restaurants in the Ghetto. read more

One of my favorite places in the UC Berkeley area! I've only gotten the #1 from here, and I've never had a reason to switch. It's delicious, gives you a ton of meat and lots of rice (a savior for a rice-deprived dorm student like me), and is close to campus. They give you your food really fast, too. Overall: YUMMY. You get the bang for your buck! ...Hm, maybe that's not the right saying..... Anyways, basically if you like marinated meat and lots of rice, this is the place to go. read more

What to expect: - Fake korean food - Large portions - Not the best quality of meat - Sometimes, actually a majority of the time, overcooked meat - Low costs for the large portions Now, I hate drenching my food in soy sauce, but here I feel like that sort of terrible treatment of food is necessary here. The meat is like half marinated and if you're not asian and used to consuming plain white rice, its going to happen. Though being located in a college town is what keeps this place alive, because what person is going to deny large portions for a relatively low price? read more

My freshman year a korean friend of mine said that Steve's isn't "real korean bbq." Well of course he's right - the place is staffed entirely by mexicans - but does it matter? The place doesn't make the cut for reasons other than authenticity; a restaurant doesn't need to be authentic, it just has to taste good, damn it. The only good thing here is the "bulgogi" - and I use that term loosely, they just call it "BBQ Beef" - and the mysterious chili-paste that they put in ketchup containers. Use it liberally; it's not very spicy but it sure is yummy. The rest has been pretty sub-par in terms of flavor and price. The kalbi is pretty ridiculous; the smallest meat to bone ratio I've ever seen, I know any of my korean friends would be outraged. The bibimbap is cold and bland, and the spicy pork stimulates your bowels more than it does your palette. The worst part is just pure variety; I think there is barely 20 or so dishes on their entire menu, with only a few of them being passable. If you're looking for a good korean fix, Toust in rape alley (or whatever that's called...Sather lane?) and Koryo on telegraph are better bets. read more

I am a vegetarian, so if you are a meat lover read this review with a bit of skepticism. Steve's Bar-B-Que is not very great. The food is mediocre, at best. And they don't even make a pretense of being a Korean restaurant -- I don't think that a single employee is even Asian. That said, I know a few Koreans who like to eat here, and the food isn't that bad... but if you are craving Asian ghetto food, go to Thai Basil next door. read more

I don't see what all the hubbub is about. This is sub par Korean BBQ, and on top of that, there isn't a Korean in sight. I don't think I've ever even seen "Steve" at this place, and based on that alone, if I had never eaten here before, it would probably deter me. I have eaten here once or twice, but it was nothing to brag about. Typical run-of-the-mill Korean BBQ, no zing, nothing to run home and tell my friends about. In the "Asian Ghetto", there are far more promising restaurants. read more

Down hill slide...or very bad day? When spending over $7 for lunch, I want some flavor AND a desire to finish (or want to take home) the entire plate...even the hot sauce did not cut it (or make it better). Quanity or quality does not make for a good lunch. Nuh said. read more

Hunger is the best sauce. And Steve's got a lot of sauce for you! Poor quality meat. Dirty. But since they give you portions and it's cheap, students love this place. Music to a starving budget concious student's ears...but hell to anyone that has a tongue or a stomach. It's a testament that if you are hungry you will eat anything. Stop by next door to Thai Basil instead. read more

Steve's is alright. If you're scouting for some muscle-building PROTEIN, then come here because the meat is cheap and tastes like average Korean BBQ. I recommend the glass noodles w/veggies and choice of meat. You definitely get a variety of flavors and a heaping portion. Overall, the meat isn't tough, but not melty tender either. Like everyone else said, the kimchee is blegh. :[ TIP: Request EXTRA MEAT with your meal. Only $1 extra!! You won't be disappointed. read more

This place isn't somewhere you go for great Korean food by any means. It's trashy, it's cheap, it's filling, and it's consistent. And I love it. I go here every time I'm in the area. It was one of my comfort foods when I went to Cal and it makes me happy every time I can get my hands on it. The portions are monstrous. You get a giant pile of meat on a giant pile of rice with two small piles of kim chee and bean sprouts. Okay, the kim chee and bean sprouts aren't great, but I've had worse. I always get the BBQ pork. The flavor is actually really fantastic. The pork isn't always super tender and can have some connective tissue or chunks of fat at times. But it's not hard to pick it out. If you go to Cal then you already know about the Asian ghetto and have probably at least seen this place in the back. If it's late and you're really hungry then you can't do much better than Steve's. I know I'll come here every time I'm back for a bit of super filling and tasty nostalgia. read more

I luv this spot, showed to me by a friend & now everyone I take here also likes this spot alot. It's a simple dine in or take out type of place hidden towards the back corner type alley with other diverse food shops surrounding it. Bbq is already marinated, once you order they cook it up for you on their burner. I usually get the bulgogi, sometimes we add on the short ribs on the side as well, comes with rice, sometype of kimchi style vegatable & another type of bean sprout side. You have to get the red sauce they have on the side, it's the bomb when you dip your meat in it, if you get my lingo. Haha. I know they serve other entrees there, too like soups & other items but we go there strictly for # 1. Enjoy... read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - OH SO DELICIOUS : ) - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

TL;DR: Price is too much for food/quality, really OILY, SO MANY MOSQUITOES The price for the food here is definitely not worth it. I think a lot of restaurants inside "Asian Ghetto" carry this stigma of being really cheap, but if you actually take a step back and look at the prices they're pretty expensive, especially for the quality of food they offer. That being said, Steve's BBQ food is nearly $10 and in my opinion definitely not worth the money. Freshman year at UC Berkeley I used to be a fan of this place, but after I got out of that stigma thinking it was really cheap, I realized $10 for the galbi ribs was not worth it. There's really barely any meat on the galbi ribs, each piece is about 50% bone and 50% meat. The food is REALLY oily, especially the rice. I took a bite of the rice, not expecting much because I know it's really cheap food, but it tasted like someone added butter sauce or oil ontop right before putting it on the plate. Pretty gross. Also, the extra meat option for the galbi plate is $4, and I do appreciate the guy at the counter letting me know that it was not worth and the extra meat wasn't really that much extra meat. However, I'd recommend going to a different Korean restaurant that offers BBQ meat if that's what you come to Steve's for. There are many other options around the Berkeley area where you can get Korean food for cheaper and at much higher quality. Oh, also there were SO many mosquitoes here, and the day after I got a huge bug bite on my leg. Makes me feel like Steve's is really unsanitary. read more

A lunch entree and a bottle of water cost me about $10. Portion size is decent, but don't expect authentic Korean food... if you couldn't already tell by the name. (My coworker brought me here, otherwise I never would have tried it.) Staff is definitely not Korean here. No traditional pan-chan --- the little appetizer dishes --- here. Kim chee is not spicy at all. With your entree you get a little bit of kim chee and a pan-chan-like salad made of bean sprouts and sliced cucumbers. I'm used to getting my meat separated from the rice, but they MIX it all together here, which I found a bit odd. But then again, a Korean place called Steve's is odd as it is! Again, food is edible but if you're looking for real Korean food, this isn't it. read more

I can't seem to wrap my head around people writing in their reviews about how they frequented this place often, enjoyed the large portions of food at an affordable price, but only award 3 stars because it's not authentic Korean BBQ. My experience with authentic Korean BBQ is a small/medium plate of meat, 6-7 small side dishes of which 3 are enjoyable, and a bill for $15-$20. Steve's will run you about $8 for a huge portion of meat, even bigger portion of steamed rice, and a couple healthy scoops of sprouts and kimchi. I always want to try their other menu items I see people enjoying (in a bowl, fried egg on top, looks delicious), but I always default to the BBQ Chicken w/less rice and extra veggies. For what this restaurant is, it's truly "as good as it gets." Cheap, plentiful, quick, and simple. read more

Oh, Steve's Mexican BBQ Their portions are huge for a decent price, but I wish they'd get some real kimchi and toss the bland bean sprouts for some japchae. Maybe they need a real Korean working there to tell them their banchan isn't authentic? read more

My trip to the Asian Ghetto begins here. I will forget the previous attempts in the past. I introduced my coworker to this place. I had the bbq squid. It was good as I had them make it with no oil. So plus to that. The squid was tender and easy to chew. The minus would be for the bean sprouts and kim chee. The bean sprouts was flavorless and the kim chee was not spicy. A good cheap Korean place to go to when near the campus and does beat Sorabol in Emeryville. Only because they have the bbq squid, sorry my good ole stand by. But if you want good Korean food, head down to Koreatown in Oakland. read more

YEEEE. Need a meat fixing? COME HERE! The portions are HUGE, and I always have meat and rice left over! The short ribs are delicious (for a college student), although they could be a little more lean/less fatty, but their chicken fried noodle with veggies is another of my favorites! read more

I didn't get into Berkeley so I have to settle for wannabe status. But on the days when I am on campus for meetings, I imagine myself as a happy undergrad or MBA student sitting down to Steve's more than once every couple months and cramming loads of flame grilled Korean bbq down my throat with block of rice and a quarter pound of kimchee. The first time I came here I was hungry and my mentees suggested coming here. The food was cheap and I reminisced of college life where food is cheap and your metabolism and activity are high enough to ward off even the most obscenely unhealthy food's impact on your gut. Ever since I have been hooked. I usually just get the beef over rice (occasionally mixed with veggies) and it's a satisfying, if belly busting, delight. The flavor is seared into the meat and actually stays if you choose to refrigerate the meat. The kimchee is not spicy, but crisp and contains a wickedly tasty flavor that complements the meat and rice. All for like $6 or $7. Hot tea and iced water on the side is available. And the staff while not overtly friendly makes your food quick. Parking is, as you'd expect, horrible. You're lucky if you find something on Durant, otherwise there is a garage down the block. Long live Asian ghetto and Steve's! read more

I like to think of Steve's "Mexican Korean" BBQ as the greatest simple food you can find around Berkeley. There really isn't nothing to it. Just cook some rice, grill some chicken, add bean sprouts with kimchi, and there's your typical Steve's take out. However, there is something so good about all this that I just can't put my finger on. The meat is always really delicious and cooked with a lot of flavor. Rice is just rice, but Steve's does it right, unlike Mandarin House next door. Steve's has been there for me through thick and thin, rain or sunshine, drunk or sober. If you're not quite sober and they're still open, it's the perfect fix if you don't feel like going to Top Dog. There's not much else I can say about Steve's. You just have to go there and experience the flavor of Mexican Korean BBQ for yourself. read more

I'm glad this place is still around. I dropped by Durant Square last week to grab a bite of nostalgia from my old stomping grounds. Among poor college students, it was widely known that Steve's served the most bang for the buck. All orders come with a pound of rice and sides of kim chi and sprouts. One meal can easily stretch to two, unless you're a fat guy. My favorite was the BBQ chicken, but the spicy pork was a close runner up. I should mention that this food isn't super authentic, especially since it's not really Steve's BBQ -- more like Steve's Amigo's BBQ. But that doesn't even matter, because if you're eating here, you're probably not Mr./Mrs. Zagat -- you're just a hungry student in need of sustenance. Anyway, I ordered the classic BBQ chicken -- same recipe, same satisfaction. Tips: They host one of the few bathrooms in the square. read more

I used to eat at Steve's quite a bit when I was going to Cal, and always liked it. They give you a TON of food for pretty cheap, and IMO it's pretty tasty. Admittedly, I know nothing when it comes to "authenticity" of Korean BBQ, or how this place stacks up. All I know is that I like it and I'm giving them 4 stars. Like I said, I used to eat here a lot when going to school, but that was eons ago. I finally got to eat here again after witnessing a demoralizing defeat of the Golden Bears at the hands of the Oregon ducks. I got BBQ chicken which comes with (a lot) of rice as well as sprouts and kimchi. I think the only other thing I've had here besides this is the BBQ beef, which comes the exact same way as the chicken. What can I say...the meat is tender and there's a lot of it, which is good. As far as the restaurant itself, who cares what it's like? It's in the ghetto food court so what do you expect (for those not familiar with the Berkeley's ghetto food court aka Asian ghetto, the fact that the work "ghetto" is in the title should tell you what it's like)? They're pretty quick with orders, and if you're planning on eating there, and don't want to eat outside they actually have quite a bit of seating compared to other places in the food court. I'm a fan of Steve's BBQ! read more

With a name like Steve's Bar-B-Que, I was super skeptical of the Korean BBQ served here. But if you ask around, a whole lotta Berkeley grads will tell you they travel from far and wide just to come back to have a taste of good old Steve's. I love Steve's, With succulent marinated meat First up, the meat is super tasty! I've had the chicken, the galbi and the bugolgi. Admittedly, the bugolgi isn't the best, but the galbi and chicken are definitely amazing - tender, amazingly flavored and downright delicious. Next the rice is always so soft and fluffy and fragrant. I've always really loved the rice there for some reason, don't judge. Whenever I was having a tough time coping with finals, I would order a Chicken platter and inhale that delicious lovely rice and suddenly all my troubles seemed miles away. In short, ignore the totally inauthentic name. Steve (whoever he is) sure knows his ways around a Korean barbecue. read more

Very filling portions, albeit with average-quality meat. A meal runs you $6-$7. Don't try the soups unless you're with a friend - you'll never finish it, it's pretty dull, and it feels like a side order. Also, their hot sauce isn't that great. More sweet than spicy. Come here for a quick, cheap Korean food while listening to Mexican music. read more

Whatever this place lacks in authenticity, it makes up in the amount of food... like, RIDICULOUS piles of meat!!! I wish they'd stop trying to force bad kimchi on me. Although I am ashamed to say that I love their kong na mul, it's so delicious to me, hahahah... I know it is sad, don't hate on me. I actually ask for no kimchi and when I do that, they give me double scoop of kong na mul and I eat every single bit of it! Great place for hungry college kids. Cheap food if you're not a big eater and you can save half of it for a future meal. Don't overstuff yourself. The spicy BBQ pork is darn good. =) read more

Really sad they increased the price. The food is decent and the portions are decent. Plus side is that is super fast. I do prefer dot island grill though because it's cheaper. The employees are super nice so that's the reason I come back :) read more

Good stuff! Part of the Ghetto Gourmet (or whatever that area in Berkeley is called with all the cheap eats places). Portions are large, tasty (almost too tasty...what do they put in their food?!?!), and if you're looking for anything more, you'd probably give it two stars or less. You get what you pay for, and if you're looking for 5 star dinning in a place called the Ghetto Gourmet (again, or whatever), you're missing out on the point. Stop being a food snob and just try the darn place...you won't be disappointed! If you're confused on what to get, just stick with the Kal Bi and you can't go wrong! Happy Eating! read more

When I lived in Berkeley & when I used to not want to cook, the other half would more-than-often suggest we get Korean food. After successfully fielding his requests several times, I gave in. I got a Bibimbap with chicken which came in a hug portion. Everything was cooked nicely except for the fried egg. It was slightly overcooked so the yolk didn't break, run, & coat the rice. I also didn't are for the particular kimchi that the restaurant uses. The boyfriend ordered a BBQ beef which had less food than my bibimbap & the beef was a little bit overcooked. On a separate occasion - I didn't give in, I got myself Thai - the boyfriend got himself BBQ short ribs. While there was a lot of meant, they were really really fatty. For the times that we've been, Steve's has only minimally disappointed. While it probably does not serve anywhere near the best Korean food, I am going to miss having it so close by. read more

This is not authentic Korean food. Just to get that out of the way... That being said, I love this place. I used to go here all the time when I was in college. It certainly contributed to my Freshman 15 (or 50, but who's counting?). Now that I've moved back to the area, I come here every now and then for the great food. While it's not authentic, it's still quite good. I always get the short ribs as I think that's the best. It's fatty, greasy, and really hits the spot. Try a fried egg or if you're especially hungry go for the extra meat. read more

I've been coming here since I was a little boy, since my family friend owned the restaurant a few doors down. Great food for under $10. The serving sizes are huge and I eat a lot! I recommend the Bim Bim Bong, with BBQ beef in it. read more

Yes it's not an authentic Korean restaurant... but who cares? the food it's still delicious and i'm always amazed by its incredibly quick service. the portion is always good as well it is open till late so it's great place to fulfill your late night munches :D read more

Probably the best short ribs around if you don't care about your health. When I was a kid this place was fantastic but now that I'm all grown up and know better, the amount of fat on the ribs is kind of off-putting. Decent sized portions though, so if you're hungry and looking for some fast and tasty Korean BBQ, I'd definitely recommend Steve's! read more

STEVE'S MEXICAN BBQ. hahaha...that's what u'd guess the place would be called if u looked inside and saw the very non korean chefs. i haven't been here all too often but it's definitely worth a try. it's one of the famous berkeley landmarks and it's been here for a long time. def get a meat dish. don't come here for the soup. the bi bim bop looks not bad either. finish the night with some boba from a couple doors down. read more

A dark and somewhat unkempt looking place with hardly ever any customers but over the years I have gone there about once a year. I went there yesterday and bought the bim bam bop (very mediocre) but forgot a side order of kimchi (they make good kimchi). So I went back today (Jan. 28 around 7pm) and the fellow behind the counter claimed that the boss told him he could no longer sell side orders of kimchi. I was astonished and angered. I also didn't believe him but that's another story. They have hardly any customers so the kimchi is not really flying out the door. Go figure... read more

Dude, I love beef. I really do. So when you can get kai be served hot on a plate of rice and with those Korean style bean sprouts relatively late at night... then... I love that place as well. And it's where I had my first MTV reality show person sighting. I saw Yes sitting on a stool waiting for his food to go. read more