Bun’d Up

People have doubts about this business and I can definitely understand why. There are servers, only a screen to order from, and it felt very cold (feels like no heater?) We didn't take photos but we got the 3 bun platter, good portions.

I don't really go to Pentagon Row but I'd say the food selection is interesting here. So I'm here with a group of friends and we see Bun'd up close by. We were surprised that it's actually two places in one; the front is for Bun'd Up and the other is for Noonchi which is another Korean Street Food/Bar area. I was so intrigued by both places that I decided to check out both places. This review is just purely for what I got from Bun'd Up.Walking in, there's merch and instant noodles and many open seats that are really colorful. I went here on a Tuesday night so I guess it was just really slow that night. There's a kiosk where you can order your food and after deciding on what I want, I decided to get the pick 2 bun option. I think it's like 2 for 10 bucks which wasn't bad but kind of pricy. I mean I'm in Arlington so everything will add up at some point...I picked the Braised Pork Belly Bun and the Spicy Fried Chicken Bun. The Braised Pork Belly Bun had pineapple kimchi, scallions, and cilantro lime mayo. Very interesting taste as I didn't really taste the kimchi at all but everything else did come to my taste buds. It was still good none less. The Spicy Fried Chicken Bun was good too. Gochujang glazed fried chicken with coleslaw and scallions makes for a very simple yet effective bun and I can't really complain. Both were delicious and it did keep me from getting hungry so it did it's job.Would I come back here? Maybe but I think Noonchi was the better pick out of the two. Either way with how you have to walk into Bun'd Up to get to Noonchi I actually have no choice. Check it out if you like a spin on Bao Buns!

Overall, food was great but had an odd experience, likely due to how early I arrived. Read summary below: Came here on Friday around 11:15am and had an okay experience. Firstly, the restaurant opens at 11am, so I know I was a bit early. It was a very rainy morning and I was running some errands so I wanted to stop here and dine-in for an early lunch. Upon walking in it appeared there was somebody in the back kitchen but no other staff monitoring the front dining area. I went straight to the order counter and begin putting in my order into their kiosk, however, the screen kept freezing then would start at the beginning. I messed around on it for about 10 mins before somebody came out to help but I just ended up using a QR code once I realized they were on the countertops facing the side of the restaurant. As I was doing all of this to order, I realized how hot it was inside, almost as if the AC broke. It also looked as if they were doing renovations of some sort so right away I kind of figured I wouldn't be dining in. Got my order through and waited about 15 minutes. As I was waiting and starting to sweat I was getting attacked by a few mosquitos on my legs. I moved a few times then decided to just wait outside in the sprinkling rain so I could get fresh air and not get a bunch of bites. I felt the wait time was fine but there was just straight silence in the main dining room (no music, no TV sounds) so it felt pretty long and awkward. Once I got my food, I left. Ate when I got back home and was pretty satisfied. Wish I actually ordered more since they had a lot of great options. I'll likely come here again so hopefully I can dine-in in the future.

Bun'd Up is in a cute little area with an open grassy area and lots of other restaurants. It was empty when we walked around 1:30pm on a Friday. No one really gave us direction on where/how to order despite seeing us walk in but I noticed a QR code on the table saying you could order.We sat in the patio so we could talk easier (the music was a tad loud inside). I had the 2 buns & fries special and a side of the Brussels sprouts. I wish I could have swapped the fries for the Brussel sprouts. The Brussels were good, but they have a ton so maybe split with someone. The buns were good too.I will say, this was very filling. I wasn't even hungry for dinner.

This is a cute little spot located in a trendy food court. There is garage parking available within a reasonable walking distance and there are a few metered spots as well. The restaurant has a decent sized dining area with a bunch of tables and a very nice outdoor patio with seating as well. I saw a large area that looks like it could be used for banquets or private events located in the back of the restaurant. You will find a television in the restaurant that was playing some weird cartoon while I was there, and they also have neo-soul music playing throughout. The restaurant serves food that comes in gao bao buns. They also make them in the burger variety. They are kind of like tapas in a gao bao bun. It is very unique, and I am here for it. They also sell ice cream, some adult beverages, and have drinks in a cooler there. They guy working the counter was friendly enough, but I will admit, I only had limited interaction with him. Be sure to check out their daily specials. I ordered a spicy fried chicken and a spicy pork belly bun. It took about 7 minutes for them to prepare, and they were fresh, hot and delicious. I did not think that they would fill me up, but they did. They were very flavorful and tasty. I really enjoyed my meal here. I was not here very long, in and out. I highly recommend checking this place out. It seems like a neat place and has a unique/exotic menu full of very tasty items. I hope to make it back here soon.

Bun'd Up is a pretty popular Asian fusion restaurant (also another location in Union Market) that I've been meaning to check out. If you like bao buns (done creatively) and rice bowls, maybe give Bun'd Up a try! A few of us stopped by for lunch on Christmas Eve for a quick meal. You can order food at the kiosk and it comes out pretty quickly.BUNS & FRIES COMBO - 13This combo comes with two buns and a side of crinkle-cut fries. My friend and I weren't too hungry, so we decided to share it. I got a bulgogi bun which wasn't too bad. The bulgogi had a pretty sweet marinade and comes with some pickled cucumbers. Overall, it was OK, I'd get a different bun next time. The fries were pretty good, but inconsistent. There were some really crispy fries, some under-fried fries -- and then some had a lot of seasoning and some had none at all. My friend and I definitely raced to eat the best looking fries with more seasoning. At the end, we still killed the fries. Even the "bad" ones were passable.Pretty casual lunch/meal option. I don't think it was amazing, but I wouldn't be opposed to coming back if someone wanted buns.

Location is convenient and around a bunch of other options. We went for lunch and they had their doors open for the summer day. It was a little odd that there was no one out front. But we ordered at the kiosk and our food came out.We got one of their lunch specials: 2 buns, French fries and a drink, and another 2 buns. Miso chicken, sweet soy fried chicken, pork belly, and tofu. Buns were soft and they were filled generously with some veggies. I think I could've used less of the sauce, since it made it a little messy and could've made it soggy if we didn't eat it right away. Our favorite was the sweet soy fried chicken. Tofu was second, since it was lightly friend. Their fries were also good, crispy and freshly fried.There were a lot of bigger tables to eat at. And inside was interesting, they sell other items and snacks on the side as well.

Let me preface with saying we ate at the pop up at the old town farmers market. So yummy. It was our first bun experience and it was so good. We got several breakfast sandwiches and for $12 they were so full. Hashbrowns, eggs, cheese and meat of choice! Highly recommend and I anticipate us hitting up the store front! No pictures because we scarfed it all down haha!

This place is the real deal. Great food. Great prices. Pineapple kimchi is really inventive and the fries are top notch. Highly recommend!

They recently shrunk their portions and is no longer worth it, huge shame because they used to be a go-to for me. Still tastes good but for the price of a meal you get a snack, would no longer recommend. This is in reference to their grilled chicken bowl, and I'm sure they've done the same with their other bowls