ATXGuide
The Best Korean BBQ Restaurants In Austin
photo credit: Richard Casteel
When you’re looking for a fun, interactive dining experience fit for a small and hungry crew, there’s no better option than Korean BBQ. And while plenty of spots will happily bring you out a platter of grilled meats, there’s something about the DIY nature of tabletop grilling that brings about a greater sense of accomplishment. The only difficult part is deciding between meats, and maybe how to strategically configure all the side plates of banchan on your table like a giant game of Tetris.
Also see our guide to the best barbecue in Austin.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Walking into Korea House feels like a welcome escape from Austin. It’s tucked away in a courtyard off West Anderson Lane that we’re guessing hasn’t changed much in the 30+ years it’s been around. And there’s a small, lily-covered pond out front that makes the whole experience feel a little like dining just outside of a zen garden. As far as Korean barbecue goes, meats are a la carte here, with quality that rivals the best. Thick, well-marbled cuts of galbi crisp up and sizzle on the grill, while you pick at the largest selection of banchan options we’ve come across in town.
Going out for Korean barbecue usually means choosing between quality meats and a bottomless AYCE experience, but at Gangnam you get the bottomless experience without compromising on taste, all in a massive industrial space that feels a lot less sterile than it sounds. Classics like bulgogi, marinated pork belly, and kalbi are some of the best versions we’ve had in town—particularly compared to other bottomless spots—but it’s the premium meats you’ll want to load up on. Especially because there’s only one price point. Order the ribeye and watch as full-sized steaks arrive for as long as you keep asking (and finishing your plate), then throw on some beef rib fingers and teriyaki chicken between bites of salad, cheese corn, and an extensive selection of banchan.
photo credit: Nicolai McCrary
Maybe you’re at Chosun Galbi for dduk bae ki bulgogi soups and large-format stews when it’s cold out. Or maybe you’re here with a group of friends, ready to take down a mountain of Korean barbecue. Platters are priced by the meat (generally from $25-40) with each designed to feed about one hungry person. But there’s also a three-person platter that comes with a little bit of everything. The banchan options here are some of the best in town, including braised potatoes, pickled radish, and cucumber kimchi. The whole experience is set in a cozy dining room that feels more like dining in an old house than in a parking lot next to a movie theater.
photo credit: Nicolai McCrary
Right next to H-Mart in Cedar Park, Honey Pig is part of a small chain of Korean barbecue restaurants, with an a la carte menu of meats, soups, and noodles. The dining room here is open and industrial, with circular metal tables surrounded by little barrel bar stools that make the whole place feel a bit like a Korean pub. Expect to find a wide range of meats, the highlights being the thinner, marinated cuts. If you’re afraid of cooking your own food, but still enjoy the show, Honey Pig is the spot for you—servers will come by to place and prep all the meats, so all you have to do is sit back, relax, and snack on a small selection of banchan while you wait.
photo credit: Nicolai McCrary
One of the original spots in Austin for AYCE Korean barbecue, you’ll find Charm in a busy strip mall right off I-35 in North Austin, in a fairly dark dining room with lots of tightly packed, semi-private booths. Here you can choose between ordering a la carte and going for the bottomless option, and there’s also a menu full of non-barbecue Korean classics like budae jjigae and bibimbap. AYCE options come in three different tiers, starting from a more affordable plan around $30, to a reservation-only plan with premium meats that cost $80/person—though you should expect a pretty small selection of banchan. The meat quality is decent in the basic plan, but it’s tough to beat on value.
photo credit: Nicolai McCrary
Located in The Crescent shopping center at Airport and Lamar, the all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue spot K BBQ has a few menu tiers, with prices starting just under $40 for the basic option, and going up from there in $10 increments for two additional levels with more premium meats and sides. And while the pricier plans do get you things like wagyu ribeye and freshwater eel, K BBQ’s strengths lie in the simpler, marinated meats—on the cheaper plan—like garlic samgyupsal and beef bulgogi. Banchan options are pretty sparse, and meats may occasionally arrive as fully frozen bricks, but if you want a lot of food in a no-frills, semi-industrial atmosphere, complete with robot delivery carts, K BBQ is a solid bet.
