BIBIBOP is located in the same Southern Pines shopping area as Target and Whataburger. I had never…read moreheard of it, but I was already nearby, saw the sign, and figured I would give it a try.
The easiest way to describe it is Chipotle, but with Korean-inspired bowls. You move down the line choosing a base, hot toppings, cold toppings, protein, and sauce. There are plenty of options, including purple rice, sweet potato noodles, kimchi, Korean BBQ beef, spicy chicken, salmon, and several different sauces.
Instead of building my own, I ordered one of the chef-curated bowls, the BIBIBOP Fan Favorite. It came with chicken, purple rice, sweet potato noodles, roasted sesame broccoli, potatoes, carrots, corn, cheese, and yum yum sauce.
The bowl was okay. It definitely felt more like Americanized Korean food than anything traditional, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. For around $12, the portion and price were reasonable.
The first employee told me they had run out of broccoli, but more was coming out shortly. Somewhere between the first and second person assembling the bowl, the broccoli never made it in. I did not notice until I had already started eating. Not a huge issue, but it was one of the listed ingredients and one of the better-sounding parts of the bowl.
I also did not realize the Fan Favorite came with yum yum sauce. It was fine, but I think I would have enjoyed the bowl more with gochujang for a little more flavor and heat. That is on me for not reading the description closely enough.
The drink selection was probably the highlight. They had several flavored lemonades and teas in addition to regular fountain drinks. I tried the passionfruit lemonade and loved it. Refills are included, which made the drink feel worth adding.
Overall, I would eat here again, especially if I was already in the area and wanted something quick that felt a little different from the usual fast-casual options. Would I crave it or make a special trip for it? Probably not. Next time, I would build my own bowl, make sure the broccoli actually makes it in, and choose gochujang instead.