Soot Bull Jip

TLDR: A tasty charcoal KBBQ experience with well-trained staff who are attentive "behind the scenes" in front of you. Quite easily one of the smoothest dining experiences, where you really don't have to cook, but you also don't notice the staff because of how efficient they are. And what's most impressive? The way the staff CLEANED that Galbi bone! Ughhhh that's going to live rent free in my head for a while!Note: No rice paper, but salad is good, and so are ALL FOUR of their dipping sauces!- - - - - -Korean BBQ grilled over charcoal fire, how many places in KTown have that? Well, while search, Soot Bull Jip is on of those!I visited with a friend on a Monday night, and to be honest, this has been on my list for at least a decade (!) - so much so that I even remembered the street and nearby buildings. Parking is a tad difficult even with a small lot, and there is residential parking, though not the most safe. The waitlist was pretty quick by the door, and walking in to be greeted by charcoal smoke has got to be one of the most mixed experiences. Your face? Sweating potential disgusted. Your nose? Yum, salivating!My friend and I settled on their Jummulok and Soot Bull Jip Kalbi. Both meats came at a good portion - they better, for nearly being $100 total! One regret is that they did not have rice paper, but it really made me appreciate their salad more, a healthier, low carb alternative - if you're on a diet. Both meats were also tender, grilled to perfection by the staff. We also had their naengmyeon (cold noodles), which were tasty, though by this point, I was more than stuffed. At the end, paying was fairly easy, and only then I did really reflect on the dining experience. The restaurant itself is quite small, but the dark, rustic walls hide it pretty well. If you're also into the charcoal experience, seeing sparks fly between grilling and eating is perhaps an exhilarating sight. However, what's most impressive is how the staff slipped in and out of service and cooking, never skipping a beat in keeping those grills stocked with meat. Never once did they interrupt conversations, and they always found the perfect opportunity to ask if we wanted refills on water or sides. Think stagehands in a theatre, they did that, and well. Will be back soon!

Soot Bull Jip is a complete disappointment. As soon as you enter the restaurant, you're greeted with a cloud of smoke. The restaurant had the doors open to allow some ventilation so that was a draft. There was no music and the vents sounded like a broken refrigerator humming throughout dinner. Service was ok, staff cooked the meat for us. This is not ayce and prices were high for Korean bbq so had expected higher quality meat. There is also a minimum of 2 order for the grill. The restaurant a gas half grill with maybe 6-8 pieces charcoal to cook the meat. Unfortunately, the charcoal left an unpleasant burnt flavor on the meat. Some of the meat was kind of chewy. The banchan was minimal, did not look fresh and missed the mark in terms of flavor.

forget that i used to pay $60 for my food is now $90.forget that the waiter asks for tips on to-go orderscan not beat the charcoal taste on meat. hands down best kbbq.

Been coming to this restaurant since I was a child & I can't even say that I'm surprised that it's still standing because the food is just that good! Everything about the interior is the same as I've always remembered it & the only thing that has changed are the servers & they upgraded their tables!Service is exceptionalFood is amazingVibes are chill

The real OG of Korean BBQ. We have been coming here since 2003 way before Korean BBQ became so uber popular. Came to visit today for old time's sake, and it's still as good as the first time we went. Service was impeccable, with very attentive servers. It wasn't so busy today and we had a quiet dining experience. The charcoal grills really do make a huge difference in the flavor of the food.Although the food was delicious and so satisfying, it is not AYCE (never was). However, for people with big appetites, this may not be the place for you. As it could get pretty expensive. A single order can run you anywhere from $32-$46. Quite pricey, I should say. Although, it's good food, it's too expensive for me and not worth spending all that dough when I can AYCE somewhere else with great food to boot!

Okay... I personally do not like eating marinated meat at Korean BBQ establishments but oh my god. Their marinated short ribs is something else. My family kept hyping it up about it and I didn't expect much cause marinated meat just really isn't my thing. However, this is an exception. Their service is amazing as well. They cut and cook for you and are very attentive on what's missing on the table. The interior was nice and clean too. Overall, amazing spot to get some quality kbbq with some friends and family.

Unique because they utilize charcoal grills to cook their meats. I tried their galbi, ribeye steak, and beef tongue. My favorite was the ribeye eye steak due to its perfect tenderness. The charcoal grill made for a fun experience with the cool-looking glowing embers but didn't make these meats discernibly better in my opinion. Good and attentive service. Prices on the pricier side. Meat quality here is on similar level to the other popular Korean bbq places in Koreatown. Definitely can't go wrong coming here.

Alright, this place is honestly kind of fire. Their parking sucks when its busy, but who cares, street park am I right? Anyways, the place is known for their meat thats grilled over charcoal stones which helps the meat taste comparably different to conventional korean bbqs over gas grill. I think the meat quality is also really good and the service is also amazing as they're always walking around and grilling the meats for you. The prices can be hefty so it's a good one in awhile stop.

There are some things that Soot Bull Jip does extremely well, and it's why some members of my family have gone for years.We come here for one thing and one thing only, galbi. In fact it's usually the only protein that we order. The marinade here has not changed throughout the years and it is still one of the best spot for galbi. They add charcoal to the grill to get that smoky flavor and it does add smoke to the whole resteaurant so if smelll is a good for you, then it's probably best to skip this spot. They even provide you with glasses of ice so that you can add it to the grill to get more smoke from the charcoal as it melts and drips. The other protein options are fine, but not the focus for us here.We'll get a soup and/or noodles to add on top, with kimchi jjigae the one we usually go for. Banchan is solid here also.Service is pretty good - the team there will help cook and they are quick with requests. There's is an attached parking lot but it can get full pretty quickly.

Average kbbq. The charcoal on grill sticks to your meant and gives a burnt flavor that isn't always good with every meat (sometimes get rides of the flavor and felt over cooked). Banchan was not anything special, only asked for seconds of the fish cakes. Got the pork bulgogi, spicy pork ribs and the beef rib soup. Was just okay. Service was quick and attentive. Place feels like hole in wall place with plenty of Koreans. Felt very authentic.