Babo Korean Bar

Love this place. The food is absolutely delicious. Whether you eat in house or order takeout. The employees are always a pleasure to work with when ordering a Babo. It's not a huge restaurant so prepared to wait on busy nights, but it is worth it.The scallion pancake with everything and the glass noodles... Chefs kiss

We stumbled upon Babo after a long day of sightseeing. It was a little bit hard to find at night because the sign is so small. Our server was friendly and our drinks were never empty. My friend needed to charge her phone and they gave her a power plug which was really nice of them.The food was hit and miss. The glass noodles were our favorite by far. Large serving and so so flavorful. The kimchi fried rice was on the smaller side and the rice was crunchy which we weren't a fan of. The bibimbap was pretty tasty but the loaded pancake was not the best. It was loaded with so many toppings that it made it really soggy. The beef dumplings were delicious!I would still recommend Babo because of their great service! Next time I go, I'll try some of their drinks.

Was excited to find more Korean food options in Nashville! Have been here a few times and am always shocked by the bill. Even one or two small bar food items or drinks end up being pretty pricey. The food is not authentic Korean food or very high quality, but the kimchi is pretty good.

We checked out Babo just as they were opening on a Saturday night, and as the restaurant quickly filled up we soon learned why people were flooding in so quickly! We enjoyed the happy hour drink specials before our meal. Everything we ordered for dinner was so hot and fresh, you can see the steam coming off the food in some of my pictures! The scallion pancake was more like a normal thin pancake than the greasy, flaky ones you'd get at a Chinese takeout place, it was different but delicious. My vegetarian partner loved the cauliflower special, and was excited that there were so many vegetarian options to try on future trips! The bulgogi was the first I've ever had so I can't compare it to anything, but the serving size was perfect and it really hit the spot. I ordered it with lettuce to turn it into lettuce wraps, but found myself just eating it by the forkful. The space feels very cool and ambient, it's a great spot for a date night! Service was very friendly too! We'll be back to try more

What great find in East Nashville. It beats the high prices in downtown. Prices are reasonable. Their happy hour is awesome. Food is incredible. Great service. Love the ambiance. Will be back!

Very disappointing Korean food unfortunately and not authentic. I saw a lot of great reviews so I was excited, but I have to stick to my local Korean food places instead. I got the Korean fried chicken for the table to share and it looked really good, but they were a burst of salt. Wayyy too salty. I thought it was just me but my whole table couldn't finish it since it was just straight up salt.My friend got the dumplings and they were indeed handmade, but very bland. For entrees, I got the beef bibimbap and it had a good mixture of veggies and meat, but again, way too salty. It was drenched in the gochujang sauce. I think they added vinegar to the gochujang, which I didn't like. More of a bar than restaurant vibe. The drinks were good. I got the lychee martini and it was strong and yummy. The staff and our waitress was super nice though!

Went with our kids who lived in South Korea for two years. Absolutely fantastic!!!! We sampled almost everything on the menu

I went to Babo on a whim recently. It's definitely a small spot with limited parking. Going to the bar was the easiest way for me to get immediate service since there were a couple of spots open. My husband was hanging with a friend, so dining solo wasn't an issue for me.For dinner, I opted for the beef bulgogi, which was fantastic - flavorful and seasoned well - I just wanted more of it when I was done to take home. Sake was good. I decided on that after seeing their sake bomb being advertised. It is more reasonable to get a regular sake than the sake bomb. Do as you wish, but that's my suggestion. I appreciated being able to sit at the bar and chat with the bartender while I ate. She was nice and offered some suggestions on what to try on my next visit in. I also had the chance to talk to a co-owner of the restaurant, to my surprise. He was nice and told me how the concept of the place came about.The best part was that the restaurant wasn't too crowded. It still had enough people but did not feel too congested, especially since bar seating removed me from the main dining area. But what really stood out to me was the level of customer service I received. The bartender was attentive, and the co-owner was really cool. I had a nice low-key time at Babo Korean Bar. It's a great spot to go with friends or alone, have some great Korean food, and enjoy a calm and relaxed atmosphere. I highly recommend the beef bulgogi, the sake, and the wonderful customer service!

I had been looking forward to checking out Babo for a couple months and was unfortunately underwhelmed by my experience. I did like the ambience--dimly lit with red in the dining and bar area and newspaper-lined walls lit by a single green bulb in the bathroom. It felt like a nice mix between a neighborhood dive bar and a more upscale, quiet getaway. Sitting at the bar, the service was fine; we got drinks quickly and the bartender checked in with us often to let us order food and drink. It was the food that really let me down. The banchan + kimchi started included four sides: radish kimchi, potato salad, broccoli with a brown sauce, and cucumbers. I don't know if it's a palate issue or a preparation issue, but I hated the kimchi (which I had been looking forward to). It was *extremely* bitter and the radishes had absolutely no crunch to them--they were soaked through and mushy. The cucumbers/pickles were alright but more pickled than I expected. I had hoped they would be a little sweeter or more sesame-forward like oi muchim that I've had at other restaurants. The broccoli with sauce was fine, but I didn't go back for a second bite. The potato salad was pretty good, but my friend only ate a single bite and left the rest for me. My friend and I split the blistered shishitos and gochujang Korean fried chicken. I liked the sauce on the shishitos but wished they had been a bit more blistered in both taste and texture. The fried chicken was good, but it's nothing I'd write home about (or order again).If I was in the area already, I'd grab a drink at Babo, but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit again.

Great food & service. I always dine at the bar but there is also some seating. The dumplings & beef bulgogi are awesome.