Eatery serving traditional Korean barbecue offers all-you-can-eat buffet plus table-side grilling.
Yum! We went to Disneyland and wanted some Korean BBQ after. This place is amazing! The portions of the meat are very generous. The marinade is tasty. They have things that other BBQ places don’t offer like porridge, cheesy corn, and Kim Chi fried rice. The smell from the outside before you get in is amazing. After the meal you get caramel or java chip ice cream. This is a really good all you can eat. The meat quality is really good for an ayce. Lots of parking and the restaurant is pretty big. The waitress was really nice and attentive. We will definitely be back.
-Connie
This place provides you with a great waiting room area with a bar, which is located on the second floor. Very fast service with extremely helpful and happy people! Our waitress made sure we had everything we needed and wanted, she went above and beyond and I have to thank her for making our visit more enjoyable! Also, they fry the kimchi fried rice in front of you! I thought that was really cool, kind of makes you feel like you’re at Benihanas.
I would highly recommend this place to everyone!
-Yvonne
This was my first visit to Star BBQ and I enjoyed it. The service was great and the meat was pretty good. We went with Menu A option ($22.99 per person). We got rounds of kalbi, marinated boneless short ribs, thinly sliced pork belly, miso pork belly, brisket, beef belly, cajun shrimp, intestines, and pork jowl. The banchans were not plentiful as at other places but I only really eat the pickled cucumber, kimchi and salad anyway. Don’t forget to ask for pickled radish and extra rice paper!
Instead of changing the griddle, the servers would come by, spray water and scrape off the build up! Genius! No need to wait for a new grill to take the time to heat up!
Love the self-serve ice cream machine. I got the java chip while others in my party got caramel or a swirl of the two flavors. It was actually on the creamy side and not icy. Too many AYCE places ice creams tend to be icy and not very edible.
Overall, Star BBQ is a pretty good value and I would definitely come back!
-Duyen
Located off Garden Grove Bl in Garden Grove cane here with my buddy and his friends this place fills up pretty quick even during the weekday. There is pretty good amount of parking in this lot it is shared with other businesses. Service was pretty good here too. The menu you have two options to choose from price varying about 4 bucks. Food comes quick. Overall a good place for AYCE Korean BBQ. I’d go back again.
-Craig
I love going here with my friends and family for special event. Of course theres billions of Kbbq around town, BUT I come here for a great party.
For birthdays, I love when they put the music on! It makes the birthday person super embarrassed! One of my pure joys in life is to embarrass the homies. Sadly, the deleted the birthday song and replaced it by giving out b-day gifts. My dog got a free thermal and the trendy back of phone clip.
YAY-ing on parking, customer service, and how quickly they clean the griller! LOVE IT HERE (:
-Theresa
With so many options for Korean BBQ along Garden Grove Boulevard, Star BBQ has managed to elevate itself into the upper echelon and is one of my preferred places to satiate my meat cravings.
For all you can eat (AYCE), there are 2 menu options, A and B. Menu A is $21.99 and menu B is $17.99. Menu A has more premium beef selections like tongue, sirloin, and short rib. You also get cajun shrimp as an extra seafood option. For most people, menu B will suffice as it has all the classics.
The foundation of any AYCE BBQ place is the beef brisket. This cut comprises about 90% of all orders, so it has to be good. The brisket here doesn’t disappoint. The meat is frehs, thinly sliced with copious amounts of marbling, which translates to flavor. Although the meat is previously frozen, the heat from the grill quickly cooks it. It’s tender, juicy and has good beef flavor. If you let it cook thoroughly, it’ll develop a crispy texture and a nice char.
The beef belly fine alternative to the brisket if you’re looking for more flavor or just want to give your palate something different. The belly is definitely more tender and has more marbling; some slices will be about 80% fat. Despite the abundance of marbling that’s exhibited, the meat isn’t greasy or heavy.
There’s a large variety of pork options, and my favorite is the thinly sliced pork belly. Similar to the beef belly, marbling dominates each slice. I prefer this cut over the regular pork belly because it cooks faster and isn’t as heavy on my stomach. Purists will argue the regular pork belly is better because it’s thick cut like slabs of bacon and can get carmelized and crispier for better flavor. Regardless of what your preference is, the pork belly is a great choice as a finishing cut to your meal.
The side dishes are plentiful and fresh. Everything is unlimited and refilled upon request. I always stock up on the bean sprouts, rice paper, salad, and the sesame oil & salt dipping sauce. Thinly sliced radish is also available, but it’s not one of the standard sides so it has to be requested. The tofu soup and steamed egg are great selections for side dishes, and you’re limited to 1 of each per person.
Service is friendly and polite. Requests for refills on sides and sauces are filled quickly, and the orders of meat come out fast. When the place gets full and the kitchen backs up a bit, there can be a delay. Just plan ahead and order when you’re about to cook the rest of the meat you currently have, and you’ll have a fresh batch ready by the time the previous batch is completely consumed. The grill gently slopes to one side, similar to a shower pan, and this enables all the fat and grease that’s rendered off the meat to drain.
When you’re done increasing your chances of developing gout, you can work on making yourself susceptible to diabetes. There’s a self service soft serve ice cream machine at the front of the restaurant. The flavors vary so you never know what’ll be offered, but it’ll be good. The only downside is that you’re limited to 2 flavors, unless you opt for the swirl of both. Serving vessels are generic sugar cones.
The interior of the restaurant is open but rather dimly lit. There isn’t a haze of smoke lingering throughout the space and the smell of grilled meat isn’t too overpowering. This is attributed to an investment in a very adequate exhaust and ventilation system. There’s a waiting lounge upstairs and loud Korean pop music blares throughout the dining area, but is drowned out by the conversations and sizzle of the grills. The wait for a table isn’t as bad as other AYCE places around the area, and unlike other places, reservations are accepted here.
-Khoi
Cheap – menu a is 22.99 which is the “fancy” list and menu b is 18.99…Soju specials included buy one bottle get one for a penny
Tasty- tofu soup and steamed egg were outstanding and really flavorful. They limit you to one soup and egg per person so…
Banchan – by far the weakest link; not many items but still not a big deal…4 items total including pasta
Meats- really quality cuts. The spicy marinade and he garlic one were outstanding; the unseasoned meats were fresh. The squid is actually octopus but not a dealbreaker.
Grill is cast iron and tilted so they just scrape to clean, no waiting for a new grill to get hot!
Overall, excellent food, awesome value and nice large dining areas make for the best Korean bbq place I have ever been too…
-Jerimiah
When I am in the OC area – this is my definite go to AYCE KBBQ!
Been a good 3-4 times each time good as the last. My last visit was freaking spot on. I could go back now… I was stuff and happy.
BanChan – good no complaints. Basic set up I’m sure it varies each day. Salad was nice, not bitter, had sweet and tangy notes- complimented the meat well.
$17.99 AYCE – comes with basic meats and a little more. Plus hot kitchen items. It’s a steal because I think their meat quality is great for the price. Nothing was frozen – looks freshly cut – no complaints there.
Brisket and beef belly were delicious. Can’t mess that up.
Pork belly was meatier then most – I appreciated the less rubbery fat appeal. Marinated squid – I believe it’s more of an octopus than a squid – looks off but taste amazing! Well seasoned and has a great kick to it.Hot dishes:
Corn Cheese – not the best. They use to let u cook it on the grill but now it comes on a wooden/hot plate type. Doesn’t allow a good texture for cheese and dries the corn. Unfortunately, I was looking forward to it and it was a let down.
Steamed egg – just order it. Seasoned so well. Just enough salt, I’ll be back for you.
Tofu soup – I’ll take 2 please. SO EFFING GOOD. I loved it more than my meat. I would just like to order that – it would be a done deal.Instead of changing the grill they clean the grill w some lemon water and scrapping it. It’s a great method which I am sure is much safer.
Served stocked the table with two bottles of ice water. Good job on that! Their service was good. No issues with service and glad to have dined there.
I’ll be back.
-Algin