If you want large portions of quality Korean BBQ, you need to visit this place. NOW! I order the #1: BBQ Beef over rice with kimchi and bean sprouts. So freaking good. The beef is thinly sliced and so tender. And the sprouts were lightly flavored and cooked as well. Put some hot sauce on that bad boy and enjoy. I'll definitely be coming back to try the short ribs. Update: The amount of meat has decreased, but still a great amount. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - I think I just found my go-to spot whenever I'm in Berkeley. - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Six dollars will get you a heavy plate of rice covered with a generous portion of grilled meat along with a side of bean sprouts and kimchi. Pro tip: Swap the kimchi out for a double portion of sprouts (the kimchi sucks), and stop by the sauce dispenser at the utensil stand to get a couple shots of Steve's delicious red chili sauce. The food isn't authentic Korean, but you'll get over it pretty quickly because, let's face it, any kind of grilled marinated meat is still damn tasty. I usually order the chicken, but the bulgogi and spicy pork are also good. The sprouts aren't the sesame oil kind you're probably used to--they have a unique vinegar flavor that I love. Portions are large enough to feed two, but a hungry guy can easily kill a plate on his own. The tables are fine for a quick meal, but it's easy to see why most students order entrees to go. Steve's is actually more of a three- or four-star place, but I bumped it up to five for nostalgia's sake and to help balance out the haters. I've been out of school for a few years now, but I still find time to visit every couple of months. read more

Pandemic review: Some restaurants have one killer dish. At Steve's, it's the kalbi -- the beef short ribs that are perfect grilled, with a side order of vinegared bean sprouts, spicy Kim chee and a hefty order of rice. Been going here since the original Steve owned this joint frequented by students at the back of Durant Alley. Forget decor, especially in the age of shelter-in-place. Support this institution which sells a dish that can feed two at half the price of a joint like Ohgane or Koryo BBQ (which may be closed). read more

aka Steve's Mexican Barbecue. You aren't coming here for authentic Korean food, and the sooner you realize that, the better your experience will be. Tucked into the corner of Asian Ghetto right next to Thai Basil, it's one of the more neglected restaurants in the complex, with not-so-welcoming decor and an unclear view from the outside. Walk in, and the menu's not all too appealing either. Steve's really is one of those places you learn about from word of mouth. You order the usual - a meat plate with rice and kimchi. What you essentially get is a half to-go container of rice and a mountain of meat. The portions are HUGE. For the price, you really do get a ton of protein. You don't come to Steve's to be wowed. I don't think anyone ever expects that. What you do come for, however, is the portion size and the fact that it's good, honest food. Some may argue that it's really inauthentic, but that's not what you come here for. It's Steve's "Mexican" Barbecue for a reason. If you're looking to load up on protein prior to a trip to the RSF, Steve's really is the place to go. TIP: Check out their deals while they last! read more

This place is fire!!!!! Great Korean bbq at a great price. Their side dishes aren't the best by all means, but it definitely is worth it. They are quick to serve and definitely recommend their Beef short ribs, which have just the right amount of fat and meat ratio. read more

Ahh Steve's, how I love the heaping piles of BBQ beef and incredibly quick service... Definitely a frequent visitor to Steve's when I want a simple all-meat-no-veggie to-go meal. I've been known to get the #1 whenever I have BBQ beef cravings at Cal. It's simple, has tons of meat and rice, is under $10, and there's a bit of bean sprouts and kimchi as well. When I'm feeling like I do need veggies but still want some beef, I go with the bi bim bap, which is usually a huge portion of food (kimchi, spinach, sprouts, egg, etc) but very good when hot. That one can usually last a couple meals, which is great for the college budget. read more

The good: - It's CHEAP. The lunch special spicy pork is under $7 and still a sizable portion. I felt full afterward. It comes with a healthy helping of kimchi and bean sprouts in addition to rice (of course). - The spicy pork is almost bacon-like, thin and salty strips over the rice. The not-as-good: - The kimchi is a little weird. It's more sour than it is spicy, which I wasn't a fan of. - The spicy pork wasn't all that spicy. I really like spicy food, so maybe I have too high standards. Overall, I'd go back for the cheap eats, and I can see why it'd be popular with the Cal kids so close by. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - Lunch special with spicy pork - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is bangin', keep doing what your doing Steve, or whoever you are man don't change a thing!!!!! Is it authentic?? I have no idea!! Is it fancy hell no!!!! But I do know it tastes awesome and portions are pretty massive. I've been eating here like 10 years, and during college of course too class of 2014, I'd go for the number 1 beef plate first choice, chicken is good to, never had the pork but will try it soon. Bean sprouts and kimchi are a great combo with the meal. Oh by the way if you are not hitting the red chili sauce or whatever with your meal you are doing it all wrong man!!!! Even if you don't like spicy man up and put that shit on there!!! Hope this joint lasts forever!! read more

Had the tofu stew and the bbq beef. The beef was chewy and the rice was bland. Kimchi isn't even on napa cabbage. It's regular crap cabbage. Bean sprouts were so watered and flavorless. The tofu stew broth was just water that was lukewarm and had a little bit of spices. If you want quick, fast, good portions, but horrible tasting food then come here. Otherwise steer clear and go to a real restaurant. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - Tofu Stew and BBQ Beef - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

It's dead week. I'm running out of meal points. And I'm craving some Korean food. The guy working at the counter was very friendly! I asked for the spicy chicken on the no carb plate. The portions are huge! Definitely helped me study. I felt bad cause I asked if the plate came with kimchi and bean sprouts and he said, "I can add them if you'd like!" Very generous of him, though I don't think they normally do that for no carb plates... This was a little over $10 for 2 meals worth!!! Very worth your money!!! Come here if you want cheap, delicious food! read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - Spicy chicken BBQ on a no carb plate - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Context: Love this place! I used to date a Berkeley dude and come to the Asian Ghetto all the time with him in my college days. I was showing my family around the campus today (what Asian family vacation to California would be complete without a tour of Stanford and Berkeley??) and decided to round out the authentic Berkeley experience with the Asian Ghetto. Food: I got the spicy BBQ chicken with the low carb option (atop salad). The guys were nice enough to not add additional oils on top my food and I suspected they gave me almost double meat portions... Or are their portions just this big? Either way, I now am upset that I don't live near Steve's. I literally told my siblings that they need to go to school here so I can come and eat at Steve's and other Asian Ghetto places while visiting them. #asiandreamssquared Conclusion: banchan, chicken, salad, extra hot sauce. DO IT. I'll eat Steve's meat any day. Wait... read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - Spicy chicken on no-carb (low carb?) plate. - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

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$1 to double the amount of korean bbq on your plate bought me in but after this, all I know is Steve sure ain't Korean. The food definitely didn't taste korean. The bulgogi wasn't that flavorful, a bit bland honestly. The sides were meh and the meat was meh. It was just a lot of it, which I guess in a college town is all that matters. They were nice enough to let us move the chairs around to outside. I hear all the places in Asian Ghetto are about equal but at the price point it sure doesn't feel very asian or very ghetto. I've had cheaper in Austin for better taste, asian food wise. read more

I had some amazing short ribs here. For 13 dollars I got a massive plate of them. The sauce was great and they came out really quickly. I only give this four stars because the meat was a little tough. Don't let that stop you from coming here though! It's worth it read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - Short ribs with low carb option - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

I usually come here for their lunch special which comes with a choice of meat, rice, kimchi, and bean sprouts. The portions here are pretty generous and I usually can never finish. The atmosphere of the restaurant feels a bit musty, so I usually order take-out. If you're craving a hefty lunch but on a budget, I recommend going here :) read more

Love love their short ribs and it's such a good deal, but I've found a piece of hair in my food two times in a row. I love their food and crave their short ribs.. but I just can't have hair in my food unfortunately. read more

My first ever meal in Berkeley when I was in high school. So much nostalgia associated with Steve's. If you're looking for a classic UC Berkeley spot, it's situated in one of the most popular student eateries on Durant Ave. My go to is the spicy pork plate read more

Quantity of food was great for the cost, but it definitely was beneath my expectations for Californian Korean food. The meat was tbe best, but the dishes (especially the bibimbap) could've used more sauce. The food came quick though! read more

2 stars for the food, +1 for portion and price. Steve's Bar-B-Que is a place that serves Korean food, however, the food isn't that authentic. I would say that the quality of ingredients isn't very good either. I've gotten several of their items-- their spicy pork, BBQ beef, and their BBQ short ribs. You can also substitute the rice for salad in case you don't want to eat that much carbs! Each dish comes with Korean side dishes, such as kimchi and bean sprouts. Their spicy pork and BBQ short ribs are just all right-- probably a bit below average. The BBQ beef, however, is extremely bland and flavorless. I was pretty disappointed. The portions, however, are HUGE! Usually, one bento lasts me 3 meals, which is really good considering that the average price is about $9-$12 ish! read more

I eat here once or twice a week and for $11 the galbi plate (it's number 4 on the menu) lasts me two meals unless I'm in a mood to pig out. My favorite part of this is the kimchi, it is probably one of the best kimchi ever, it doesn't smell spoil like typical kimchi and it tastes pretty amazing with rice. Galbi is decent, a little bit on the fatty side but you can't really screw up galbi as far as taste and texture go. The steamed bean sprouts is alright, it makes me feel like I ate my vegetable of the day so in other word, it does what it's supposed to do. They do have a lunch special menu, but I only come here for galbi and I have no plan to try other stuff on the menu...at least not yet. read more

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

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Bibimbap was a large portion for the money. Nice hole in the wall. It's quick and I'd come again. read more

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

BBQ beef and short ribs are the best! My husband has been coming here for 30+ years. So yummy!

I've been eating at Steve's since the mid-90s when, as a Cal student, a Korean classmate turned me on to Korean BBQ and kimchi. Im obsessed. Whenever I'm in Berkeley I'll get a BBQ plate to go which includes a ton of your choice of delicious grilled meat, rice, with sides of lightly pickled bean sprouts and kimchi. My go-to is the BBQ chicken with an extra side of grilled short ribs. The bi bim bap is a bowl full of goodness, rice topped with six different veggies, kimchi, your choice of meat and a fried runny egg. I sometimes get it with beef but the chicken is so good that's usually my go to. It's a big dish so sometimes I can't finish it, and I'll reheat the leftovers the next day, and fry another egg Spanish-style to put on top. Yum. read more

It's definitely not the most authentic Korean BBQ, clearly, but it gets the job done well enough to satisfy my bulgogi and spicy pork cravings! I don't know why it's never that crowded, because it really is yummy! Maybe I just always go at off times..? I'm not sure, but I'm not complaining about not having to wait. Interactions with the cashier are always quick and efficient. There's not much to it because it's not a table service or anything. It's always about $10 and you get your fill completely! I'm a big guy and I'm always a stuffed potato after my meal at Steve's. I love that they give a lot of rice! I love to eat a big bit of rice with each bit of meat. About the meat, though . . . they give such a nice amount of meat here. The portion size is truly amazing! It's a big pile of meat on the rice with kimchi and (what I'm pretty sure is) pickled sprouts. My recommendations are the BBQ beef and the spicy pork. They're the best things on the menu and the only things I order now! Definitely give steve's a try. It's not amazingly authentic Korean, but it's DELICIous!!! Happy eating, and remember to wait until you're really hungry. p.s. get some of each kind of sauce and dip the meat into them! read more

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Steve, Steve, your skin is dark much more than any Kim or Park But it's OK if your cooks aren't Asian because on the outside I'm Korean, but inside Caucasian OK, here's the deal, the kimchee is lacking, and the sprouts are "eh", but the meat over rice is tasty and they give you a lot! My favorite is the Spicy Pork (#2), had the regular beef (#1) but found it lacking taste. This place is one of those places where they may not be good at a lot of things, but the one or two things they have are solid. PS: they give you extra spicy sauce (koju jang...I'm sort of Korean OK!) and so mix that in and you got yourself a winner whether it's meat plate #1 or #2 :) read more

I love Steve's BBQ! I usually get the spicy BBQ chicken bibimbap, because it has more vegetables than the regular BBQ plate. The chicken is really good, and the other veggies / egg are too. The bibimbap plate has cabbage, another vegetable that I don't know the name of, carrots, radish, cucumber, bean sprouts, and a fried egg, so it's healthy and a well rounded meal. I always come here because it's really A LOT of food for $11; it can last me for two meals; I think it's really worth it! read more

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

My kimchi was soggy and had zero crispness last Friday night... wtf?! But my kalbi was the bomb, like usual! Not Steve's fault but kick all them stinky hippie bums outta the asian ghetto entrance... It's like walking through an invisible musty curtain of funky BO. Isn't there a tree to live in or something you have to handcuff yourself to in protest? GTF outta here! read more

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

I am the old customer for more than 4 y. I ordered a BBQ Short rib dine in, after I finished half of the dish, I picked up my friend's meal and left for 2-3min. They throw away my dish, even there were not so many customers at that time. In this situation a simple apology can make thing better, but they didn't. They blamed me for leaving. Although I had many meals for this place in the past 4y, I will NEVER come again for the bad service they provide read more

When I was 18, this was the ONLY place to eat at Berkeley other than Top Dog. When I was 21, this was the ONLY place to eat at Berkeley other than Top Dog. When I was 25, Steve's was still pretty good but I've been spoiled by the finest KBBQ spots in Los Angeles When I was 30, maybe I didn't care as much as I did before but I thought Steve's BBQ downgraded quite a bit, the quality of their meat was not as good as I remember. Now, I only go there if Top Dog is closed or the line is 38 people deep, and Top Dog is never closed. read more

Steve's Bar B Que is pretty good. I ordered using a delivery service and the food arrived promptly and still warm. We ordered bbq chicken and the beef short ribs. Both were delicious! The portions are very generous! I will definitely be ordering again and next time I'll take pictures so that i can post here. My first experience with this eatery was very good so i hope to purchase another meal from them soon! Thank you Steve's. read more

I've been coming here for over 10years! Spicy chicken patotoe stew. If you like spicy... your going to love this soup! read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - Spicy chicken patotoe stew - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

After graduating 20+ years ago, this is still my favorite quick meal place to visit every time I'm in town. The bbq grill selection is usually a good choice. read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - Spicy bbq chicken! - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

It doesn't get better than this. Steve's has been one of the staples of Asian ghetto since I've began my college days in 2008. Go to place for some good bbq. The no carb plate bbq chicken is legit. You also can't go wrong with the short rib plate. It's about $12-$14 after tax but totally worth it. They're also really quick too. Get that extra sprouts or kimchi on the side and it's a great meal! read more

The owner treated us with incredible kindness. I appreciate the speed of the service and the food! May not be the most authentic place, but very big portion and good sides! read more

Obviously, you would never confuse Steve's Korean BBQ with true Korean BBQ (not like you would come here with that expectation anyways...unless you are really deluded). BUT, you will be hard pressed to find a better value for pretty decent Korean food than Steve's! Spicy pork was my slayed meat of choice, but the whole menu is pretty decent, though the chicken is sometimes a little on the dry side (I've had worse though). Even if you aren't overly impressed with the flavor, you certainly can't argue with the generous servings they give you - talk about getting full on a budget! Throw on the hot sauce and we're talking an oh-so-filling dining experience fast and cheap! Just the way your kinky side likes it... Oh Steve's BBQ...you are one of the biggest things I miss about Berkeley! read more

Ok, this very modest place is located in the Asian Ghetto section of Berkeley. Its food on the cheap since its near the Cal campus. I didn't excpect real authentic food as I didn't see any Korean people in the kitchen cooking the food. I guess Steve had the day off. Ordered a bi bim bap with chicken for $6.99. The flavor was ok and the chicken was very well seasoned. It was actually much better than I excpected. Your order comes with a free side of kimchee. I found the kimchee to be a bit soggy and it must have been sitting a while because it was already turning limp and sour. But it was free so I can't complain, I suppose. read more

Everyone is complaining about the kimchi...i'm more about the meat. This place is getting expensive (and they're starting to skimp on the meat)! I remember my freshman year it was at least two dollars cheaper, but I guess everything is going up now (looks down the street at the strikers). I like the spicy pork and even the chicken over the veggies is good. Also, i forgot what it's called something with meat, veggies, and the glass noodles...really good, you get rice and noodles! I don't really like the short ribs and i only see korean people actually ordering the soup dishes. If you smile really big and ask nicely, sometimes they'll put an egg on top for free = ) (haha i'm assuming it's only for the girls) overally, good bbq for college students read more

Great if you are really hungry and don't want to spend a bunch of money. I used to get the BBQ short ribs which comes with bean sprouts and kimchi, but now I get the Atkin's friendly plate. It comes with literally a pound of grilled chicken on salad (no rice). I may be exaggerating a bit but it is definitely enough food to feed two hungry people. They also have hot tea and water available to wash down all the food. Bottom line: If you are looking for legit Korean food, then don't come here. But if you are starving and want pretty good food for a fair price (less than $10), then definitely come here and bring a friend or two. read more

There are way more amazing korean bbq places! Don't expect to be mind blown, or even find any flavor in some of the items. This place is only AMAZING if you're exactly the crowd it caters to...college students! I always ordered the bbq pork. SO MUCH FOOD, I can never finish any of it. Definitely save some for later. CONVENIENT, especially when it's dead week on campus, and you're camped out in main stacks, smelly from not showering, eyes puffy from lack of sleep, and need quick and cheap food immediately so you can somehow nourish your brain with fatty food for that final you have. Don't expect any service! Get in and get out! read more

Got the bibimbap and was disappointed. Meat was not on the dryer side and it felt like it was missing something. The sauce was absent so the dish didn't tie up very well together. Might be better options on the menu? read more

I love coming here whenever I crave a lot of meat. You get a hugeeeee portion for a very good price. I usually get take out and the no carb plate with either the short ribs or the beef. Both are really good! read more

Steve's Korean Bbq - No carb plate BBQ short rib - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California