Kotu Korean BBQ

Best Korean BBQ in Tucson hands downGreat quality, fun cocktails, attentive staffAlways a great experience

Normally not a fan of going home smelling like I was engulfed in the smoke of my dinner but for Korean food? Worth it even though the AYCE establishments always make money off me (I can never eat enough to say I left winning in terms of out-eating the restaurant).Ate dinner here with a friend on a Sunday night. There were some large birthday parties happening but we were able to be seated right away.We ordered the Classic, 3 meat choice menu and chose shrimp, pork belly, and thinly sliced short ribs. My shrimp was fine but my friend didn't find the meats flavored enough for her liking.I also ordered the Bulgogi Sot Bab. Why this is a side, not quite sure. It was basically a beef bowl which I guess could be more like a lunch entree. But it was delicious and both of our faves of our meal.The house tea is, of course, a hearty barley tea which is my favorite kind. We finished off our meal with it and the grilled cinnamon pineapple.The vibe is definitely festive and noisy. Great for big parties. On a Sunday, most of the businesses adjacent to it are closed so parking is not an issue.I know that AYCE generally don't offer to-go containers s but we had leftovers of one round of food and it was a shame and disappointment that we couldn't bring any of it home. Our kind and attentive server let us know that one day soon they will have to-go boxes hopefully for those instances, but for now, not an option.I would return here, definitely a value and great eats.

Travelled across Tucson to try it out on a Sunday. There were 3 tables with people. They would not seat me because I was by myself.I could see it on a busy day or time but they had plenty of open seats. I have never had this problem ever.

This place was so good! The wait was long but that is to be expected and was worth it. The service was good too, they changed the grill out every time we ordered more meat. I definitely recommend the cheesy corn, that was our favorite!

Tried them out and so glad we did! The restaurant had a cool casual vibe to it. Lots of people there but there was no wait to get seated. We started off by ordering beef and made our way down to chicken/pork. My favorite was the Angus beef and spicy BBQ chicken. My son enjoyed the grill aspect of it and I loved how many sides also came with. Our server was great and overall we got plenty to eat while also trying something different! Fave sides were the kimchi rice and kimchi stew as well and the cheese corn. It's pricey but worth the money since we ate so much!

I've gone here with friends probably 10 times now so I feel confident in saying this is the best Korean BBQ in town.There is always a line but they cycle through people pretty quickly and I think the longest we ever waited was 25 minutes. They don't take reservations. They are located pretty nicely in central Tucson by the Tucson Mall so it's equally located for those in northern and eastern Tucson. Inside is clean, modern and loud. In the best way. Everyone is enjoying themselves and laughter is everywhere.Now, the food. It's a one price point tier experience there's the standard one and the premium. Me and my group only stay with the standard because everything we want is in that tier. We can even get Australian waygu which makes it perfect. I love the sides that come with the food! Not just the kimchi and bean sprouts sided they automatically bring out but the extended menu sides. My favorite is the kimchi soup. It can be shared but I get it for myself haha.I have previously enjoyed the other places in town that had provided the service prior to Kotu, but sometimes the offerings and the pricing just didn't match up to be the better experiences.

I've wanted to try this place for a few months now, but couldn't get folks together to try it out and they were closed for a bit due to a car running into the restaurant. The space is pretty clean and has a lot of cool things like the vintage looking beer fridge. I thought the ventilation systems above the larger tables were pretty cool. The food was excellent and well prepared. The marinated meats had great flavor. Definitely a good Korean BBQ spot.

The food there is worth the price all you can eat, and the service are quickly. You don't have to deal with one server. It's all the servers there. It might be a little pricey, but it's worth it.

Overall, we had a good time here at Kotu. We did the classic menu which has a lot of options. They also had a special running for wagyu beef included in the classic menu at no additional charge, so we tried that as well. The food was tasty, except we didn't like the chicken very much. The chicken was a bit too fatty and grisly, which was very off-putting. The beef dishes and side dishes were very good, however. The atmosphere was a little stressful to both my husband and I. It's already very loud and noisy inside with the people and grilling, but they play very loud K-pop music on top of all of that. It was tough to hear each other talking along with the wait staff.Maybe we will try again when it's a bit quieter or has fewer people. We will definitely be back!

I visited on a very slow time and loved it! The ambience inside is nice and peaceful and all of the workers are very friendly. One that especially stood out to me was Peter! He went above and beyond to make sure my experience was great! And for that I give them a 5 star! They have so many yummy meats to try and I liked all of the ones I tried. The only one I didn't love was surprising the ribeye. But the rest were amazing and cooked nicely!! I will definitely be coming back! And I hope Peter will be there. He deserves a raise or a manager position.