Thirsty Cow Korean BBQ

This is my boo's favorite kbbq place due to the hand cut short rib offering on their premium menu. If you order the giant bone in rib, watch/ ask the server to correctly cut it into smaller cubes prior to cooking. This makes it so soft and enjoyable to eat. The cherry wood flavor comes through beautifully if you pick the flavored one over the plain one.Very unique offering at this restaurant. The staff is super attentive, quick moving & kind. I like seeing the refrigerator with the curing meats.The sauces & marinades are robust and flavorful. I love the instant noodle touch too! You can cook your own in a pot next to the bbq.The ambience is sexy for a bbq place. Beautiful ceilings at the bar.The included Melo Melo popsicle dessert at the end is also a favorite of mine.

Arrived around 1pm on a Sunday afternoon. The waitress said it would take around 20-40 minutes so my party walked around Costco before heading back. The person who put his name down was freaking out cause as we were walking back, 22 minutes later, he saw that we got removed from the waitlist. Thankfully they still had our table and we were able to be seated immediately. I wished they could call or text the party before taking us out of the waitlist, that way it wouldn't freak anyone out.Anyway, the food was good. The best one I'd say is the premium black angus hand cut short rib. There were criss-cross cuts and they have it deboned for you. The pieces are long and you can cut it with the scissors. The scissors they had were nice and cut easily. Since we had a party of 5, they gave us a table to fit 6 but with 1 grill. The ventilation was poor and smoke kept going towards one of my friends. She ended up moving over so she wouldn't have to breathe in smoke the whole 2 hours.The service was slow and they kept forgetting to get us dishes. We had to ask for things multiple times, like extra napkins 3 times, tofu soup 3 times, steamed egg 2 times, and I never got my pickled radish I asked for. Even setting up the sides, they didn't have all the side dishes. When we asked for refills for all the side dishes, the second time we had it they also had japchae, which wasn't in our first round. This means they didn't set up our table correctly. I used up my sauce about 30 minutes left of the meal but after the poor service, I just sucked it up and ate the meat sauceless. If you're gonna set a time limit, at least have better service. Anyway, some of us left as if we just had a snack. Approximately $70 per person after tip and tax for the premium menu, bad service, poor ventilation, and left some of us still hungry. That's not worth it. I don't think I'm coming back.

Finally got to try this AYCE bbq restaurant!It's a very busy restaurant and hard to get into, especially during prime eating times. I don't think they take reservations. There's always a line outside with customers waiting for a table. Btw!!! No solo dining here!!! Will seat with a minimum of two people.* Limited to Two hours of dining. Menu has either Premium($49) Or Choice ($39) per person. The difference is the quality /cuts of meat options. We got the premium and this allowed us to select from both! There are some complimentary side items that are already on the table when you get seated : salad , macaroni, kimchee, bean sprouts & broccoli. ( you can ask for more if you like them ) We tried a variety of Prime meat cuts ! Many to choose from. Portions are generous and we decided to get 1/2 orders as to not waste and try many different meats. You can tell the quality is much better than other AYCE ... Bulgogi is already marinated and was a favorite. Delmonico ribeye was a whole steak ! It came buttered which was very tasty. Can't go wrong with the galbi either . It was three long strips . The filet was good too! We also tried a couple of sides: steamed egg. (A+) , bean soup (a traditional Korean soup ,A+) Save a little room for a nice treat of pineapple sprinkled with cinnamon. Hubby enjoyed it cold . My daughter and I grilled it and it was delightful. Oh! You get a choice of an ice cream popsicle ( melon,strawberry, or mango) to finish off your meal! Great dining experience tonight ! Our server ,Te-min was very attentive and helpful. He got us everything we asked for and gave us suggestions as to which cuts of meat to try. This restaurant is for carnivore lovers! I'll be back!

If you're looking for a great Korean BBQ spot that seamlessly blends warm hospitality, delectable cuisine, and a casual modern but lively ambiance, look no further than Thirsty Cow. We came on a Saturday to celebrate a family members graduation and weren't disappointed. The staff were warm, welcoming, and attentive that set the tone for a potential great dinning experience. This was our first time here and our server went over the menu, which added another layer of enjoyment to our evening. Now let's talk about the heart and soul of Thirst Cow, the food. We ordered from the premium menu and each cut of meat was fresh and full of flavors that transported our tastebuds to various levels. Each dish was a culinary masterpiece with a perfect blend of flavors and textures that showcased management's commitment to quality and authenticity. In conclusion, Thirsty Cow is an iconic gem that goes beyond just being a restaurant but an experience. It succeeded our expectations not only by satisfying our palates but created a long lasting impression of an amazing dinning experience. We'll definitely be back!!

My go-to KBBQ spot! (Also my man's favorite). Great spot for AYCE meats + soju. We literally come out here from Long Beach. If you get there when they open, there's hardly a wait. I love their selection of premium meats and sides. Great variety of seasoning salts, such as, truffle salt, house salt, roasted sea salt, and my personal favorite- wasabi salt. If you've never had a dab of wasabi on a good cut of meat or wagyu, you are simply missing out. This wasabi salt adds the perfect touch. Don't knock it til you try it! Love their premium short ribs, pork cheeks, beef belly, beef tongue, large intestines, corn cheese, and steamed egg. Great service! And complimentary Melona ice cream bars for dessert. Get the pistachio. So bomb. :)

This is the first time we come to the new location and it was a great experience. They have a very long wait time so make sure to sign up on the list when you are not starving. They have plenty of parking, but beware of Costco! Sundays are terrible for parking because of Costco. The place feels spacious and the tables are comfortable with the grill in the middle and good exhaust systems so you don't fully smell like it afterwards. The noise level is average and not too loud like your usual kbbq. Service was great! Our server kept checking on us and replacing the grill without us having to ask for it. She also refilled our sauces ensuring we didn't run dry. The food was great, they have good meat quality and big portion sizes. You are able to order half orders or 1 piece for some items such as short ribs (delicious!). I would compare this place to Mr bbq in Fullerton but it is hard to say who does it better. We will be back!

Amazing AYCE with fabulous quality and price. I came with a group of friends today and opted for the premium version. We ordered solely from the premium menu since this was the best bang for our buck. I loved the woondae smoked galbi and the original hand cut short rib. I'll definitely be back!

Always a big fan of Thirsty Cow but not a big fan of the long wait. Wait time usually varies between 30 minutes to 2 hours during the peak dinner rush. So it best to avoid the dinner rush, unless you go there early to line up. Meat quality is always on point and customer service is always attentive. They always made sure they take away our empty trays and there is an order of meat already place. My favorite cut is the beef tongue and pork belly. The beef tongue wasn't overly chewy and the pork belly wasn't overly fatty. Thirsty cow is on the higher end for kbbq, but it is totally worth the meat quality. Try it out if you are in the area!

Where the old Xpot used to be, finally got around to try and and the first thing I noticed was how packed it was, tons of people waiting to get in when I got there and even when we left. Went with 50 dollar option. You get about 2 hours AYCE but last call will be about 15 min before. Tried a little bit of everything but the stars for me are definitely the hand cut short rib, wagyu beef belly and the rib fingers. Favorite was the hand cut short rib, I hope that's the right one, now that I'm looking at the menu again, is see the gal I also... anyway, it's the one that has one bone and about two feet long. In marinated of course . The way this meat is cut and scored, it cooks a lot quicker than regular galbi does, super tender and delicious, I was pleasantly surprised.... not it's always going to be on the back of my mind why all Korean BBQ places don't have this cut. Wagyu Beef belly, super fatty so it cooks almost instantly, it is fatty and super rich, if that's your thing, I definitely recommend. Beef fingers, just a third change of pace, also cooks relatively quickly so it doesn't cut into your eating time.Filet Mignon was kinda flavorless ,The time limit may come into play especially if you have a large group, you order from a tablet and the food does come super quick, so they're very efficient, servers where very attentive, great all round. A little out of my way, but have been thinking of excuses to head over to that area to try it again

Great tasting cuts of meat. Good selection. Ayce all you can eat is definitely a plus. Worth the price. This place is huge but still gets very crowded. Wait time may be a little long but worth the wait. This place easily accommodated our large party of 13. Good service overall.